Blood Filled Kisses
by krazykiwi16
Summary: Every person is matched up with a partner in the form of an important, everlasting contract together. One person is a contractor and their partner is the supplier. It is impossible for the contractor to continue living without drinking from the supplier, so for contractors, suppliers are essential ZoroxOC Rating may change
1. Prologue

_I quivered with excitement when warm breath tickled against my skin and I instinctively clutched the other's clothes bringing him closer so our bodies were flush together. I gasped when hot lips began grazing at my neck, sending tingling shivers down my spine as pointy teeth nipped playfully where my pulse pounded erratically. 'Yuki' I almost missed the faint whisper over the loud hammering of my heart. He pulled away and I found myself lost in beautiful eyes….eyes that were like a thunderstorm ; light grey with hints of a dull blue colour alongside grey flecks….it was very unique. He leaned forward and nuzzling into my neck again and I couldn't help but giggle from the ticklish sensation. Then all of a sudden there was a sharp pinch and a moan erupted from me as a burning yet pleasant sensation filled my body. I felt myself arch in pleasure, one of my legs curling around the waist of the one who was drinking from my throat…..….Wait?...What the fuck!_

Contractors: Human species with an enhanced DNA strain which made them more powerful, agile and heightened their senses, in addition they lived longer than the average human. Furthermore, some contractors had an extra gene in their DNA 'The Devil Gene' which gave the contractor an almost magical ability that was unique to the contractor. However, since their bodies couldn't handle the strain of being a super human, they needed 'power' aka their partner's blood to support them but more importantly a contractor will die without an on-going blood source. Therefore they had to drink from a human also known as a 'supplier' who has the same blood type as them. Unmatched blood types act like a virus and consequently kill the contractor.

Blood Contract: Made when a contractor bites and consumes the blood of a human, a powerful, sexual and permanent bond is established between supplier and contractor.

Supplier: A human who has made a blood contract with a contractor and they become the only person the contractor can drink from. Their blood feeds and sustains their contractor on a basic level however the stronger the bond is between the two, the more powerful the blood becomes and even the supplier can evolve to develop abilities. This can vary across blood contractors. Once a contractor dies, the supplier is free to form a new blood contract.


	2. Chapter 1

Hey just a little idea i've been working on, hopefully people will like it. This might all be from Yuki's view but im not sure yet. Have fun and tell me what you think.

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I let out a loud, unattractive yawn before nodding in tune to the rhythmic electro beats that were blaring out of my black and blue 'Skull Candy' headphones that fitted snugly over my ears. I strolled my way through a maze of students and entered a mammoth of a building, the most prestigious school in all of East Blue: Water Seven High.

Prestigious my ass.

It was just special.

Why was it so special? The answer to that starts about fifty years ago when the first Contractors appeared and when they did appear the whole world was literally flung in chaos. Vampires. That's what the first Contractors were to people. It was completely understandable, they had to survive on human blood but it wasn't like they were the undead. It wasn't till science declared it was merely 'Evolution'. And so with a wave of a magic wand they call politics the situation was somehow solved and now Contractors were able to live alongside humans and allowed to make contracts. Actually it was now law for humans to make a blood contract when required, well I guess they were hoping that law will erase years of violence against contractors.

However the laws were passed barely twenty years ago and the memory that Contractors were only seen as monsters was still fresh in most people and thus this school which used to be an elite school was changed to house everyone: contractors, suppliers and humans. The aim was to improve relationships with each other. Well that failed epically.

Fights happened every day, sometimes it was between two contractors but mainly it was between humans and contractors. It didn't help when the school had a programme of matching the same blood types of contractors and humans together so blood contracts could be formed. They say 'programme' but in other words the school forced blood contracts to be formed and that just fuelled the conflict; well that's my theory anyway. But in all fairness it wasn't like the heads of the school sat down and did nothing,they really do try to get us all to get along with each other but we students were not budging at all. Heh, I guess that's the only thing everyone can agree on.

I stand before my locker with a stance of aloofness and single handedly spin the combination lock between my fingers, opening the door to my locker. I check my schedule and collect the various books I needed, scowling at a red book titled 'The Role of A Supplier' before sluggishly dumping them in my elaborately customized black and red messenger bad that was slung over my shoulder, fitting comfortably across my chest.

After checking my black watch, studded with small diamonds, I quickly glance at my reflection in the mirror that was situated in the inside of the door of my locker and remove my headphones, letting them hang around my neck. I wish I didn't have boring genetics, I mean my hair was black, I had dull green eyes and I was pale. Could I not have been blessed with uniquely coloured hair? Like what the hell. I exhale loudly before accentuating my eyes with black eyeliner, making sure the flicks on the corner of each eye were even and again scowl at the mirror. I close my locker though I may have slammed it a little too loud as I notice a couple of students nearby who immediately steer away but I shrug a shoulder and saunter down the corridor, fiddling with the steam punk anchor pendant that hung off my neck. Ah shit, I forgot to put away my headphones…..

Meh forget it, it's a lot of effort to go back now.

The morning bell echoes through the halls and I let out another yawn and continue walking at a slow pace, not too eager to start lessons. As I walk I hear the buzzing of a thousand grating voices of students that float over me like a storm cloud, I feel my teeth grit in irritation and my left eye twitches once or twice. I could hear them, students who whisper harsh words in a small huddle, I hated that. Though what I hated more was contractors who thought they could intimidate and bully us normal, non-powerless students.

'Fight Fight Fight'

See what I mean…this happens at least once a day and that's the minimum. Not to mention a lot of the fights happen outside of school but who tattles on another these days? There were students who came from Upper Yard, guess you could say it's the 'ghetto' well it's known for a very high crime rate. Anyway, the students from Upper Yard had no qualms about starting a fight, they probably intentionally went looking for one. I sigh loudly before narrowing my eyes, trying to focus through the throng of students to see who was actually fighting.

Eventually I decide to approach the crowd and I push my way through to the front when a small figure crashes right before me on to the clean, white floor. I feel my left eye twitching again when I notice a handmade, foil turtle shell laying mangled beside him as he splutters in pain. It's DJ Gappa, a happy go lucky, turtle looking kid who's in most of my classes but he's an annoying fuck. We're friends for some reason but I think it's because I'm probably the only person who actually lends stuff to him when he casually asks. I have a highly evolved patience, though he's prone to throw a childish tantrum and that's when I can't stand him.

But right now that happy go lucky kid is in snotty tears, black eyed and bruised and all I feel is rage burning through me and I slowly plant myself in front of the green haired turtle boy, shielding the injured boy with my body.

'Yuki-pu….should have…ack….guess-pu' and there's the pu on the end of every sentence, I roll my eyes and look over my shoulder 'Stay there, I'll put an end to this' I tell him sternly with a grim smile.

'Oho…really now?' a sickeningly sweet voice captures my attention and I see some girl in front of me, she's a second year because she's wearing the uniform in pink whereas I'm wearing the school uniform in midnight blue because I'm a first year. Not gonna lie but I've never seen this girl ever in my school but she sure stands out. Her hair was up to her shoulders but it was a vibrant, orange colour. Her light brown eyes were at most trying their best to threaten me. She wasn't wearing her blazer but her crisp, white shirt was sleeveless, revealing a blue tattoo of….I would not know how to describe it but I think I see a pinwheel in it. Strikingly obvious was her white blouse that ended up beneath her bust and I swear it was one size too small because it was revealing a lot of cleavage. Her pink skirt was trying desperately to hide everything but one small hitch higher and all would be revealed. She was wearing high heels too! I didn't know the school had a strip club aha. In her left, no ahem in a right hand was a pole weapon. Is she serious? Gladiator scandals and a weapon from the Stone Ages! This girl appears to have a lost a few screws.

I resist the urge to pinch my nose in frustration but instead all I blurt out is 'Your top size is too small' and of course there is a hushed silence that sweeps around us. The girl just scoffs and towers over me, it's the heels or she'd be the same height as me. 'That's exactly what he said before he got what he deserves' she says coldly, indicating to the broken body behind me.

I gave her a long hard look before answering clearly, 'Look bitch' I spat 'If you apologize here and now then we can head off to class because it starts soon' I say with a snide smirk. She blinks and then she gives me a sly smile before lifting her weapon, well this one is obviously from Upper Yard since they were the only students who always bring a weapon to school.

As the long metal stick slices the air I swiftly dodge it before it smashes my face though I guess I wouldn't have boring genetics anymore…..

I would be missing teeth instead.

I walk past her causally as she wonders why I wasn't in her line of sight anymore; we both turn at the same time to face each other. 'Heh…I won't miss next time' she chirps evilly.

'Huh?' I say indifferently, placing both my hands in the pockets of my blazer 'It's over though' I say bluntly. The girl looks confused but before she can open her mouth she realises blood is trickling from a small cut on a cheek and then in her next movement her clothes literally explode in pieces, barely clinging onto her body.

She shrieks in surprise, while everyone one else at first looks shocked before they're all laughing in hysterics. I give a wink to Gap who was on the floor giving me a thumbs-up and trying not to laugh too hard, it probably hurt to. I look back at the girl who was glaring at me while attempting to cover her half naked body, I notice her eyes are watery and I feel a small twinge of guilt but what she did to my friend was unfair. As I contemplate apologizing I realise she was looking somewhere past me, I look back to but all I see is the audience of students. I turn back and see her give a calculating stare to whatever she was looking at before pushing through the wolf whistling mob.

As the crowd begins to disperse, some students come up to me and shower me in praise while others condemn me and say she might know a contractor. Huh…I never really thought of it that way. Shit, she was probably a supplier, they're the worst. They think they can go around and do what they want because they have some contractor sugar daddy they can hide behind. I don't agree with that, my uncle always told me if another student hits you then you hit back, it doesn't matter if they are strong or weak. Even if you lose you can go on knowing you tried to fight for honour. Well I don't really get it because I'm only seventeen but I don't go picking fights just for the fun of it, it's merely if someone pushes me then I push back. I especially don't go looking for the weakest gazelle like the other students here.

I switch my attention to the centre of this mess, DJ Gappa. I crouch before him, who was staring at me wide eyed 'That was amazing-pu' he states loudly his eyes sparkling in awe. I extend a hand out and he grabs it and gingerly stands up.

'You alright?' The girl doesn't seem to have hurt him too bad.

'I'm good-pu' with a massive, shining grin.

'You should have kicked her ass' I say, bending over to pick up his turtle shell and handing it over to him.

'Nah-pu. She's a chick-pu and plus I have you to take care of girls-pu. I'll take on the guys-pu' he straightens the shell a bit before placing it on his back. His face lighting up with joy as he feels turtle like again. I don't understand his love for turtles, I get they're pretty sweet animals but to go around dressing up like them, too far man.

I laugh disbelieving at him 'I'll have to hold you to that' Think I've seen DJ in a different light, didn't think he had the chivalrous side to him. Well he is mature when he wants to be.

I bop his shoulder lightly with a fist as I walk past him, giving him a side glance to follow 'Let's get you to the infirmary' When all of a sudden I hear DJ cry out my name like it's the end of the world and before I can look and check if the world was ending I'm violently shoved to the floor. I land harshly on my ass and immediately glare up at DJ who then vanishes from my sight as a pink tendril punches him. The impact was so harsh it causes a seismic wave, I close my eyes and I feel my hair whipping around my face, I hear people screaming as shattered glass rains down from the windows.

I open my eyes and I notice my heartbeat is thunderous, I'm trembling as fear and adrenaline explodes through my bloodstream, I don't know what to do but just sit there on the floor feeling helpless.

'D..DJ…' I whisper out lamely to empty spot where he was standing, I take a deep breath to regain some form of composure but the best I can do is stand up shakily. I peer down the long corridor and my heart stops when I see a motionless figure right at end, DJ! I run, as fast as I can in my disorientated state, glass crunching under my boots, when something zips past me and I hear a high pitch whistling sound by my ear and I freeze.

Why is Monkey D Luffy blocking my way?

I don't know him. Well I do but only because we share one class together but I get the immediate impression he is a dumbass. Why? Well because all he does in class is sleep, eat and pick his nose, recently he's been sleeping and eating at the same time which is just in insane.

As usual he was wearing his midnight blue blazer which was messily tied around his hips, and his white shirt was not buttoned all the way up. He was wearing that straw hat as he always does on raven black hair but his face was completely hidden in the shadows of the rim and for some reason he looked absolutely terrifying.

I swallow loudly but before I could order him to move he speaks first 'You hurt Nami' his voice was low and practically murderous. His eyes were still hidden beneath his hat so he didn't see me flinch.

'N-Nami?' I say in confusion but he stays silent. Hold on….the gears in my mind began to move and whirl and it clicks! Wait…that would mean…

I snarl harshly at him 'You midget bastard! You fucking hit DJ! He did nothing! He was the one who was viciously attacked by your orange haired slut!' Wow, I was livid in an instant, my veins pulsing with animosity like a lethal infection. I couldn't stop the words that were flowing from my mouth, though I'm going to blame the anger and fear that's causing a violent tempest within me.

'He hurt Nami first, and then you also hurt her. And no one…hurts my nakama' I narrow my eyes as the warning was clearly visible there.

'Yeah well no one hurts my nakama too' I reply back, my hand grips around my pocket knife within my pocket. What? How else did I rip through Nami's clothes? It was only because of those Upper Yard students that I decided I needed protection….you know, just in case.

He lifts his head slightly but can't see his eyes 'Hmph' Luffy scoffs in amusement; I don't falter and give him the most murderous look I can.

'I thought you hurt Nami because she's not strong but you've got the will to go up against a contractor. I'm impressed' His words cut me like a whip…shit! Of course, he was able to extend his arms and move super-fast, how did I miss that? Well by irking his wrath, I may have just killed myself but I try and clench my jaw tightly to prevent my jaw from falling down in shock and went for a 'glower angrily at him approach' which wasn't exactly working what with my right eye doing it's twitchy thing.

_Just walk away_

Obviously I ignore my conscience and kept opening my mouth, sprouting incoherent bullshit 'Like hell I'm going to back down just because you're a contractor, you piss me off, I'm gonna mess with you so you being a contractor has nothing to do with this' I say coolly, whipping my hair back over my shoulder.

'There's nothing special about you, you're still a bratty kid who still goes to school and most likely has your mum wipe all the snot from your nose' I notice the shadows beneath his face have darkened. I must have shouted those words because for some reason the crowd of students watching us all nod in agreement.

'Yeah! You blood suckers should just go and die somewhere!' well that riled the crowd up some more because another voice screamed 'And take your damn refrigerators with you!' Ouch…that was a discriminating word for the suppliers. But shit, this escalated quickly. I feel like I've started a revolution. I'm too immersed in listening to what the crowd has to say that I forget the initial situation I'm in until I hear the sound of knuckles cracking ominously. I quickly turn to look back at Luffy when I nearly recoil back in fear when I'm faced with a glare filled with wild ferocity, I mean god damn my knees were trembling.

'You still have time to walk away kid' Luffy said in a quiet voice, I wanted to leave, I really did but I was frozen, stuck in a hypnotic trance with charcoal, anger filled eyes. There was this crackling like atmosphere between us, like there was a lighting storm brewing in the middle of the room. Boy, you could not cut this tension with an axe let alone a knife. Then I was in his personal space, our noses mere inches apart. Suicidal much? That's not the worst bit, I had to go on and whisper menacingly 'Well I have no intention to walk away monkey kid, so what you gonna do now?' I breathed.

Ever heard that saying 'mess with the bull, you get the horns' I did exactly that.

The seconds seem to painfully take a century to tick by as we continue our stare off, I take a step back in retreat as I see an extremely unnerving smirk on his face.

'Ah, you won't walk away. That's a problem' there's no emotion to his voice or eyes but he's still smirking, 'well then, I guess the best solution to this would be Haki' he states simply. So as I panic over this unfamiliar word 'Haki' he takes a deep breath and before I could do anything like for example get on my knees and beg, I feel the air change as a thick curtain of pressure passes through me. It was a weird, uncomfortable sensation. I feel like I'm being crushed. I wonder if Luffy is going through the same pain as me but as I look to Luffy, I see him staring at me with fierce intensity. Is he causing this? Damn contractors and their stupid special powers.

Christ, it's becoming difficult to breathe, I gasp in pain as my chest tightens and I notice there is two Luffys. Great, due to lack of oxygen my vision has become blurry, I'm gonna pass out in any second, oh its happening.

Or I thought it did but instead my survival instinct mustered everything in my body and I flew towards Luffy, landing a heavy punch on the still smirking Luffy. I've somehow knocked him out cold, well instincts are dangerous but damn, I've never known silence to be so deafening. I smirk proudly….

ARE YOU SERIOUS? I just K'Od a contractor with one punch. What am I? Superwoman?

_Would you fucking walk away now!? _Alright I better listen to my inner voice before it has an aneurism. I draw back my still tightly clenched fist and let it hang by my side and stagger back. I could just melt to the floor and pass out now, I'm exhausted like I've just ran a dozen marathons. I manage to turn around but I instantly halt when I notice that the crowd of students had all crumpled to the floor, tossed to the ground like broken roses. Did Luffy do this? Was that supposed to happen to me?

I wearily walk past the breathing corpses, loosening my tie and fanning myself. It's gotten quite hot in here. Like the sun is right behind me. Where are the teachers? Surely they must have heard the commotion…no really I'm actually beginning to sweat, for real is there a sun behind me? I look over my shoulder and I see a tall guy who was only wearing the school issued baby blue trousers, oh a third year. I don't know him but all I see is tanned muscle since the guy's orange cowboy was dipped low over his face, reminds me of someone I know and I briefly glance down to the unmoving Luffy. I face him properly and tilt my head in puzzlement, and then I sense it. Hostility.

Seriously? Three fights in a row. This has never happened to me before.

'Who the fuck are you?' I would have liked it to have come out with more venom but I was so wearily it come in slow motion, almost monotone. Maybe if I show off my blade he'll walk away, and so I pull out my blade, pointing it at him. It immediately drops, along with my bottom jaw as I see flamer flicker along his shoulders and arms.

'Oi….you're on fire….like literally' I hear him chuckle before there is a sudden rush of heat and I'm engulfed and surrounded by a ring of fire. I squint my eyes against the blindingly glare of the orange and yellow flames that dance and ripple around me. Then all I see was blackness.

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So what do you think? Should I continue?

Please say yes ^^


	3. Chapter 2

**Hi I forgot to do this in the previous chapter**

**DJ Gappa is a character from One Piece Movie 6**

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Well, if I'm dead, then this must be heaven, or if I'm dreaming I don't ever want to wake up. But if this is real, then I am never leaving this bed. It was like nothing could ever get me when I was shrouded by this whiteness and I snuggled deeper into the warmth surrounding me.

Though the tranquillity was ruined when a voice called out for my name and with a grumble I reluctantly get up, the sheet slipping off me. Then I am suddenly stabbed by the piercing blue eyes of Robin-san who was smiling sweetly at me and I avert my eyes, buckling under her immense gaze. I hate it when she does that, looking through me instead of at me, like she's trying to work out what's going on in my mind like I was a damn puzzle. I guess that's counsellors for you.

As I look away I'm aware of my surroundings, I'm in the nurse's office…Ouch! A stab of pain goes through my head and it begins to throb unpleasantly and I automatically bring my hand up to massage it and that's when I notice there is a clean, white bandage bound around my left hand. Oh yeah. How could I forget all about punching a contractor and being nearly killed by one? I guess when I passed out from the heat, they brought me here. Someone was kind enough to take my blazer off and fold it neatly at the end of the bed; my headphones were on a table beside me and further along to the side there was another bed. My eyes expand in size as I recognise the crushed, handmade foil turtle shell at the end of that bed and I immediately bolt to it and see….a mummy!?

The person on the other bed was literally covered in white as bandages were wrapped around him from head to toe, if it wasn't for the green hair peeking through the dressing I would never have believed it was him. 'He's doing fine' I jump slightly at the sudden voice 'You caused quite a commotion today' Robin finally speaks, sitting composed on the only chair in the room. This kind of pisses me off as I sit myself back down on the bed I woke up in 'You make it sound like it was my fault' I say with a slight twitch in my left eye.

'No, it was not your fault but I believe you could have handled the situation better. All was needed was an simple conversation and there would have been no need for all this violence' she says sternly, 'Did you tell the others that?' is what I want to ask but I've made enough enemies out of contractors for one day, don't want to add another to my list. Though I highly doubt she told them they were in the wrong.

'Heh, all of us were an entire spectrum away from calm' I state and it was true, if I wasn't so angry I would never have gave Luffy a wallop or shredded Nami's clothes.

'You have two weeks suspension nonetheless, one week for fighting and the second for bringing a weapon into school' Ah shit, I dropped it somewhere so they probably confiscated that so I guess there is no chance of getting it back. I'm wrong however when she holds out a black pocket knife with a touch of silver flowers engraved on it 'I believe this has sentimental value so I will be giving this back to you but never bring this into school ever again' her words seem to have some unseen pressure attached to it but with a small nod I take it, grasping it tightly within my left fist.

I don't want to say 'thank you' so I change the direction of the conversation 'So, what happened after that third year attacked me? Are the other students okay?' Robin immediately blinks in surprise though I'm not sure why, was it wrong for me to be concerned about others? I bet she thought I was some insensitive, non-compassionate bitch. I'm not, honest.

'They were all sent home to rest but they will be fine' she said with a reassuring smile, well that was good. I was worried that I got the other students mixed up in something big 'But we will be having an interview with each one as I've been told some of the students present were being very offensive against contractors' her azure eyes shone luminously, but in her next blink they were back to normal. I quietly think contractors are scary.

'Those guys…..they didn't say I was being offensive or anything? Because I wasn't, all I said was not to get big headed because they have powers' I ask cautiously, I need to make sure the others told their side of the story correctly.

'No they didn't but they have the impression you aren't warm towards contractors' her eyes were watching me, radiating tension as if she was a ticking time bomb and my answer would either detonate or defuse the situation. I answer as honestly as I can.

'I have nothing against contractors' crossing my arms casually 'the same thing would have happened if they weren't contractors, it wouldn't be as disastrous but I would have still protected my nakama. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to go up to them and be best friends with them but that's solely because of what happened today and the feelings probably mutual. In fact, if it weren't for today I don't believe my life with have intertwined with theirs'

Seconds tick by slowly before she simply says 'Fine' and I let out a huge breath of relief and then I remember something 'What is Haki? Luffy said he was going to use it and then this weird thing happened like there was no oxygen in the room. Was that his devil power?'

She raises an eyebrow before answering 'I was just going to ask you about that. I'm very surprised yet intrigued how you were able to withstand Haki despite not having a contract' she did look astonished.

'Is that bad?' I ask curiously, I was worried slightly.

'No, just unusual, you see….' And like a living dictionary she spewed forth information 'Haki is a power that is found in every living being in the world, however most people do not notice it or fail to awaken it. Haki is an ability to sense spiritual energy and overpower enemies, there are different types but the one you came across is a very unique one, it's said only a certain group of people possess this powerful Haki. Its name is Conqueror's Haki.

What an impressive name.

'So that means those who have Conqueror's Haki like Luffy have the ability to dominate the will of others and like you saw he was able to beat those with weak wills into unconsciousness. You resisted because you had a stronger will or a will that's on par with his' she ponders to herself for a moment while I process the information. Well I guess I am superwoman aha. It's a bit childish of me but I can't help but feel smug about that this 'Haki' thing, it wasn't an easy feat to stand against that immense pressure and I am proud of myself for that.

'So are the others suspended?' I ask and she sighs, like she feels sorry for them 'Luffy and Ace received three weeks and Nami has two weeks. They all left school a while ago' I really can't help but feel like she has taken a side in this situation but I guess contractors stick together, it doesn't matter if they're adult or child. I know if I was being lectured by Spandam then he would fully support me only on the basis we were both human but the thought of that short tempered prick on my side disgusts me. He was a former teacher of this school but he refused to have contractors in his classes and forced them to stand outside his class so the headmaster fired him. Good riddance. I glanced back to the slowly breathing mummy across the room 'What about DJ? He was the real victim in all of this'

'No he wasn't' Robin says bluntly and I splutter incoherently as I want to shout at her but I'm held back by my fear of her powers.

'He provoked Nami first it seems, commenting on the way she dresses' and I scoff 'Have you seen the way she dresses though? You can't blame him' I'm 100% sure that Nami must have said something to DJ first. She probably made a snarky comment about his turtle shell and he retaliated, he had every right to. She completely ignores that comment and calmly says 'He would have gotten detention but after receiving such an attack from Luffy we are letting him come to school as normal once he fully recovers' I nod in approval and I get up, picking my blazer from the bed and putting it on. I place my pocket knife in a pocket and get ready to leave as I assume this meeting was over.

'There is just one more thing I need to talk about' Robin pipes up and I nod 'Alright' fixing my crumpled clothes and hair in the mirror of the medicine cabinet.

'We've found you a contractor' my heart just stills and my brain refuses to function from this point on, I had never anticipated this, especially not today.

All I do is stutter undecipherable words and Robin just ignores my befuddlement and continues, what a insensitive bitch! 'When you first entered the school a month ago you were immediately matched' I open my mouth to speak but she cuts in 'But because of the contractor's stubbornness the contract wasn't made. Plus I believed you needed to attend at least a couple of lessons on your role of being a supplier, but I've noticed now your attendance to those lessons is zero'

'But-but Type Z is so rare, how could I have been matched so quickly? I manage to utter.

'He is a third year so it wasn't a quick match for him but he's stayed alive merely on his resolve to live but his body cannot keep up with that drive. As you would have learnt from your lessons, the cut off point for all contractors to live without a supplier is a maximum of twenty one years so he really does have to make one soon before it's too late.

'But that's selfish of him to refuse it before and then have the nerve to be like 'oh I'm hungry can I make my contract now' that's utter bullsh-baloney!' I stop myself just in time. Robin just listens intently and I get the feeling she understands my point 'Actually, he doesn't know this is happening. His friends can tell he hasn't got much time and they insist he needs one'

I blink in surprise and unclench my fists which were balled up from the previous anger 'So this is the will of his friends…..' That is quite remarkable, and as I stand there in admiration Robin hands me a piece of paper with the guy's details 'We've trying to get in touch but it's proving difficult so to make things faster you can trying getting in touch with him and explain everything yourself. The school will do our best too' She turns to leave, and I ask her retreating back 'Doesn't he come to school?'

'He skips school often' how can she say that so calmly? Surely they would have reprimanded him by now. It was so weird, when I've skipped lessons or I'm caught smoking on the roof, the headmaster and Robin constantly chase me down and lecture me yet they were unaware of this one student.

'Yuki, no one is ever ready for a contract but it is a must. Contractors die with no source of blood' She was trying to encourage me but it was like a death sentence and all I do is look glumly at her as she walks out of the room, sliding the door shut behind her. I pinch my nose in frustration; I've been dreading this day for a good while now. Though I have always known I would enter a blood contract, considering that despite having boring genetics I've got the rarest of blood types so it was inevitable that I would make a contract. I just didn't think it would happen so soon, argh I just…I'd rather not do it. The word 'contract' sounds like nothing but they were everlasting and relationships between contractors and suppliers were very intimate, not to mention...sexual. Great, now I just remembered that disturbing dream, I shake my head to get rid of those thoughts and decide to leave the school so I can think about what to do from here on.

I grab my headphones, and whisper goodbye to DJ and leave the school building immediately, exiting through the giant steel gates, headphones already placed over my ears. I reach into my blazer pocket and grab a box of cigarettes, I take one with my mouth and light it one handed as I place the box back in my pocket. I didn't smoke a lot, only when I was stressed which I guess is quite often but it does help me calm down and once I have, I realise that I was a lot more exhausted then I thought I was. I walk a little slower, grey smoke trailing behind me and stare at the piece of paper and I begin to burn holes with my eyes into it. Great, this guy is from Upper Yard. Just my luck.

I scrunch the paper up angrily and I'm about to toss it but I sigh and just stuff it in my pocket and head home. Home was luckily not far from the school, it was tip toeing on the edge of Enies Lobby which was a pristine, clean neighbourhood, and it was almost secluded from the hustle and bustle of Water Seven which was technically the town centre. I reach my street and I walk over a bridge that cuts over one of the many rivers that runs through Water Seven, I stop in the middle to feel the breeze hit my face and pleasantly run through my hair, it really was picturesque and in the far distance standing tall and proud was the Police Headquarters building, where the strongest officers as well as high ranking admirals are stationed. It was a large multi-storey ancient pagoda with a gigantic coliseum structure encircling it. I stub my cigarette out and stop in front of a beautiful huge white house with red roof, sometimes I feel like living here is a dream but using my key I open the door and walk.

The first thing I see is a set of stairs and rushing down them was a tall slim woman with long pinkish blonde hair reaching down her back, two locks coming over her shoulders to frame both sides of her face, dark glossy brown eyes, a unlit cigarette between ruby red lips. I guess she's off to work as she wears a smart purple suit with a white blouse underneath and she was in a frantic rush. 'Yuki-chan! The school called, they say you got into a fight! Who was the bastard who did it? Ah, you're hand! Are you alright?' I'm immediately overwhelmed by the torrent of questions my way when suddenly I'm pulled into her chest as she embraces me tightly. I growl and lightly push her away 'I'm fine, it was nothing I couldn't handle. I thought you were on vacation?' She doesn't let go of me and sighs 'Hina has to go to work because something came up but I know you will be okay on your own. Hina will look after you when I get back' I wonder how this person was qualified to look after children as I feel my left eye twitch.

'I'm not a child so I'll be fine. By the way, the school….they found me a contractor' I say miserably, snuggling into her warm body, soothed by the pleasant scent of home and her flowery perfume. 'Ah honey, you'll be fine' her arms tighten around me 'I'm fine aren't I? Even though my supplier is that damn Fullbody!' she says the last bit with an angry growl and I chuckle, feeling slightly better. Then she leans down and kisses me on the cheek, purposely marking it with her red lipstick 'Oi!' I wipe furiously but she just chuckles, gives me some last minute rules like 'don't open the door to anyone' like I didn't know, jeez. Gives me a final peck on my head and ruffles my hair before going out the door. I wave her off before going upstairs feeling happy, though I remember I still have an impending decision to make but it wasn't as daunting as before. I take my time to relax and recover from the events of the day.

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**Hina if you forgotten is the Marine Captain who tries to stop the Straw Hats from leaving Alabasta and she has Jango and Fullbody who follow her around aha **


	4. Chapter 3

**Thanks to those reviewed :D**

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There was nothing like a hot shower to soothe oneself after a long day, the warm water that cascaded onto me was comforting and released all the knots of tension within my body. I change into black skinny jeans and a turquoise blue top with long, loose sleeves that attach to my wrists like bracelets. The rest of the top was tight and the bottom hem was peppered with silver and dark blue sparkles. Seriously, this is causal for me; it wasn't like I was trying to impress my would-be contractor or anything trivial like that.

I blow dry my hair, leaving it wavy and do my usual eyeliner routine before proceeding downstairs to eat dinner which was left for me. As I heat up my food, I ponder if going to Upper Yard now is a good idea but it's just…knowing me if I prolong something I will never do it, and ultimately I do not want to have someone's blood on my hands and live with that guilt for the rest of my life. Not to mention there will be legal problems as technically I refused to make a contract, sure the contractor refused but he's exempt from that law. That law only applies to humans; again it was to appease the contractors for the many years of discrimination.

I wash my plate up after I finish eating my delicious meal and prepare to leave. I look into my jacket closet which was under the stairs and pull out a white coat with faux fur ringing the hood and cuffs. I put it on, while pushing my feet into black, ankle high boots. I make sure my brown, satchel bag has my phone, cigarettes, lighter, my pocket knife and the crinkled bit of paper and sling it over my shoulder.

The sun is setting as I lock the front door of my house and I begin to briskly walk to my destination as it's not ideal to go Upper Yard when it's dark….not that it's ever ideal to go there. The sweet scent of popcorn invades my nose, and I hear generic fanfare as I walk on one side of a river. Huh? I didn't know the funfair was in town but as ever Water Seven was crowded. In all fairness it was the biggest entertainment place in East Blue. Countless markets, the biggest names in fashion, bars, classy clubs, and restaurants of all sorts of cuisine, arcade and cinema: there was always something to do.

It was fairly priced too so there was never a quiet day at Water Seven, though there has been several incidents such as bomb scares or a criminal gang has tried to take over the city but with the police headquarters nearby those situations are handled pretty quickly. As I walk, I admire the reflection of the multicolour, fluorescent lights that shimmer on the surface of the water. It was really a beautiful place and I love living here, I've lived in pretty shitty places before so I take this place for granted. I head down a set of stone stairs, my fingers trailing over the grooves of a engraved intricate design made by a talented street artist. I turn left once I reach the end of the stairs and enter a brightly lit tunnel which links Water Seven to the outskirts of Upper Yard which is mostly used by the inhabitants of Upper Yard.

I emerge out of the tunnel and there are several signs that indicate that I've arrived in Upper Yard. While Water Seven had its elaborate and interlinking canals of crystal blue rivers, there was none here. Almost as if the river itself knew that if it flowed through this neighbourhood then it would be tainted and poisoned by whatever lurks in the dark streets of Upper Yard. Another sign was the street you walk on becomes grimy and it wasn't long before you're walking on pavement caked in so much dirt you would never believe there was concrete beneath it. I would not risk the five second rule here.

But if you miss all those signs then you will never fail to miss the most notable sign which was literally shoved into your eyes. An overwhelming mass of metal that stood at ten feet high, surrounding Upper Yard and completely isolating it from the rest of East Blue. I felt goosebumps erupt all over my body as I stood before it, the ominous black, gnarled steel looked like the mouth of a monster that could swallow me whole and never let me go.

It was definitely a downgrade from Water Seven. Several, if you compare it to Enies Lobby. Sorry, but I was really trying to be nice here.

I take a deep breath but I hesitate, the final orange flare of the sun disappears and a harsh winter wind sweeps through the barren street as night takes over. I close my eyes against the gust, feeling it billow through my hair, I hug myself for warmth as the cold hits me. Okay. I'm stupid. This was a dumb move to come here on my own at night.

_Clink_

I jump as I hear a noise, twisting violently, my eyes lock in that direction and I squint through the darkness. My heart quickens slightly as I cautiously watch the surrounding darkness. I was scared but I was also strangely curious. I have a feeling someone was watching me and I'm about to call out to the gloom when there is a single tap on my shoulder and adrenaline surfs through my bloodstream as my heart instantaneously begins to painfully pound. It was an audible rush; I could hear my body go into panic mode, my brain going numb in fear and my sanity whimpering like a wounded animal.

'What the hell you doing here?' an amused voice flutters down to my ear.

I slowly look over my shoulder, quivering terribly and I expect to see the devil behind me but in my watery vision I see an entertained, freckled face. I blink away the tears and identify that the orange blur on top of his head was a cowboy hat. I point at him, my hand shaking 'You….you're that damn fire user' my voice was much higher than usual 'Y-you….I-I thought…..damn….' I thread my fingers through my hair as I try and calm down. Christ…..I really thought I was going to die. It was one scare after another and my heart could not handle it. But thank fuck it was just someone from school. As cliché as it sounds, my life really did flash right before my eyes, it's quite sad that it wasn't very long.

I could still hear the thudding of my heart but it wasn't as amplified as before, I inhale deeply as a final attempt to calm my body down. I look at the contractor before me; he wore nothing on his upper body, black knee-length shorts with an orange belt. My eyes were immediately drawn to the large dagger in a green sheath that hung at his left hip and even in the dimness I could tell there were several tattoos on his arms. He was supporting an infuriating, delighted smirk.

'Ahahaha, you look like a ghost. You act so tough and shit but you're still a weak human who's scared of the dark' he mocks me with an evil grin while I frown at him, maybe sulking a little. 'Or maybe that's all an act' he smirks down at me, he grabs my chin and I'm forced to look into beautiful brown eyes 'you're actually a desperate, dirty slut' his voice was a venomous whisper.

I punch him. Well I want to. Anger engulfs me and my left arm twitches forward slighty but Robin's face flashes in my mind and I pull away from his clutch, my right arm holding onto my left wrist as it was itching to so badly hit the guy before me. I frown at myself, why of all times do I listen to a teacher now? Though, starting a fight here may lead to my murder so Robin's advice isn't such a bad idea. Especially considering what happened today.

To distract my hands, I tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear, shoving them both deep into my pockets 'Like hell I am, asshole' I mutter. He glares menacingly at me but he doesn't do anything else. We stand there in total silence, eyeing each other. I didn't like it. It was too quiet; I could hear the street light above us struggling to stay alight as it flickers between on and off.

Not to mention the constant flickering was playing with my eyes as it seems like the shadows were wrapping around the fire user, like it was one with the shadows and it was creepy.

'I'm off now' I blurt out and quickly leave 'Ouch! Where the hell did this wall come from' I straightaway crashed into a solid structure, I rub my tender nose before peeking up into the eyes of a...demon?!

My mouth goes dry as I stare up into eyes that shimmer like a tiger's beneath the shadows of a black bandana that was wrapped around his head. I hear a rustle and I look down to see he has a tight grip on not one, but three swords!? Who was this guy?! He shifts closer to me, and my head shoot straight back to look at him. He looms over me like a beast bearing down on a helpless prey, his piercing black eyes pinning me to the floor as he stares through me, violating my soul. I tremble pathetically under his intimidating expression but a small part of me seems to have disobeyed the rest of my body and sent an electrifying, nostalgic down my spine. Then oddly enough the moment the thought 'I know this man' crosses through my mind, his eyes soften to a different shade. Just seconds ago they were as black as a thunderstorm yet sparkling as though lightening had struck within them. Now they were dark and hazed, like twilight. They were calling out to me, whispering promises that struck my heart, making it prickle.

I want to stab myself; this was not the time to have a fucking moment like a girl on a first date. What the hell was wrong with me? I have no idea who this guy is and I ignore a voice that keeps whispering otherwise.

A cough from behind grabs my attention which I am grateful for, so I step away from the swordsman and look back at the fire user, 'What?' I ask coldly, crossing my arms over my chest.

He smirks 'I really want to know what business someone like you has in Upper Yard?' a gleeful grin on his face. He was acting like I had entered a country without a passport. I let out the loudest sigh yet. I want a cigarette, I want to go home but I also wanted to smash his face in but that would end badly for me. Even verbally insulting him would lead me to an early grave.

'I'm here to see my contractor. Happy?' I say in defeat. Now this fucker best leave me alone. He cackles in delight like I said the funniest joke ever. 'How ironic, so which poor soul has you as their contractor?' I roll my eyes; I'm the poor soul here. I recall the name of my contractor from memory, struggling a little 'Ro-Roronoa Zoro, so can I go now?' I say with a grimace, a silent plea hidden behind the words.

'Ah…' the fire user places a hand on his hat, tipping the hat forward and over his face and I feel the temperature rapidly rising. I stagger back as I see orange flames once again lick against his shoulders and arm, radiant in the dark.

_Shink _

I halt when I hear the unmistakable sound of a sword leaving its scabbard, a sharp point digging between my shoulder blades. Oh shit.

'That's weird…..' I feel a heavy weight on my chest as Ace speaks 'He hasn't made a contract yet so you must be lying' his voice is barely a whisper and my right eye begins to twitch, this is bad. Like seriously bad. 'Though, I wonder how someone like you knows his name.' My shoulders are vibrating.

'Do you work for Blackbeard?' Shit, he can use Conqueror's Haki.

Whatever he says doesn't register with my mind as I focus on withstanding the invisible force he was emitting, beads of sweat trickle down the side of my face, his Haki is nothing like Luffy's as its noticeable more powerful. My breathing gets shallower 'I'm sorry! I'm Type Z, and Robin-san told me to make a contract with him!' I say in one breath, the pressure is immediately released and my body feels light all of a sudden. So this is what a marionette puppet feels like when no one's controlling their strings. Or is it when their strings are cut. I don't know...

'You're Type Z?' the guy behind me whispers in disbelief.

'Yeah….I'd rather not enter a contract…..' my vision's going fuzzy 'but it's a must…..or contractors die with-'I was going to repeat the words Robin told me but I wobble, my legs give way and I spill forward but before I hit the ground, my world around me goes black.


	5. Chapter 4

**Thanks for everyone who reviewed and enjoying the story so far :D**

**I will be doing other points of view but I'm not so good with first person so they will be in third person.**

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I slowly open my eyes, adjusting to the sudden thin lines of light that slice through the black. Ugh, I feel like shit, I was not ready for school my mind automatically thinks as my brain struggles to whir back to life. Wait…wasn't I in Upper Yard? I sit up, blinking at an unfamiliar wall in front of me and I wince as the sudden movement causes a spike of pain to shoot through my skull. I notice my coat was covering me, functioning as a makeshift duvet for me and I slowly swing my legs off the moth eaten couch beneath me and I place my feet firmly on a carpet that has probably seen better days. I rub into my temples, trying to make the headache go away before looking at my surroundings.

I'm in someone's house which was fully furnished but there was a fine layer of dust on everything and it definitely didn't have a homely feel to it. There were indications that it was at least occupied as garments were strewed on the floor, alongside empty soda cans and beer bottles. Pizza boxes lay all over the carpet, and I wrinkle my nose at the stale scent of alcohol and weed floating in the air. I'm completely sure there's a used condom beside an overflowing trash can in the corner of the room. To think this was only the living room, I hate to imagine what the other rooms are like, but who the hell lives here? Why am I here?

'You're finally awake brat' a voice insults me and a tall, muscular young man with dark skin and messy short green hair enters the room. He was attractive, in a rough sort of way. I recognize the imposing aura and I immediately stand up, pointing accusingly at him 'Where the hell am I? What the hell happened?' I demand. Instead of answering, he just looks at me with the most penetrating gaze ever and I stare right back, paying no attention to the flutters of wayward butterflies in my stomach.

'This is Ace's house' I tilt my head in confusion and he goes on 'the guy with the orange hat' Ah, right so that's his name. I briefly remember Robin mentioning his name in the nurse's office but obviously I wasn't going to recall his name when I was in a potentially life threatening situation.

'You passed out and we brought you back here' he runs a hand through his hair, he was wearing a black bandana before but I guess he took it off. His eyes flitted from one mundane object to another before he lets out a sigh and stalks to me; my immediate reaction is to raise my hands up defensively, prepared for a fight, not that I could do anything against his muscled physique. He ignores me and just sinks into the couch, a bulky arm resting on the couch arm, he side eyes me 'Sit down before you faint again, kid' he tells me in a calm baritone voice. I look at him sceptically, my eyebrow arched in suspicion but I sit myself down, far away from him as possible. My guard still high up.

'So he's Ace…who are you?' I ask curtly.

The corners of his lips curl into a sly smirk 'I'm Roronoa Zoro' I believe my jaw just drops and I gap openly at him. This muscle head swordsman who's probably a gangster is my contractor? I take a deep breath as I feel agitated, my head still pounding mercilessly as my mind begins to fret over this unseen situation.

'So, Robin told you to come here?' he asks, crossing his arms over his broad chest, I'm aware of the fabric of his black T-Shirt stretching over his rippling muscles. I also notice the lack of formality when he says Robin's name 'She didn't tell me specifically to come here but she gave me your details so I could get in touch wit-'

'So you stupidly thought to come all the way here on your own' I hear the mocking in his voice and sit back to glare back at him 'Hey-' but again he cuts me off mid-sentence.

'It's admirable….' I stay silent, as his voice become softer. Was he praising the fact that I came all this way to make a contract? Yeah, I should get some credit for that.

'…your stupidity of course' he chuckles but then he lets out a dry, hacking cough. I flinch at the horrible sound and that's when I realise that he wasn't healthy. His cheeks had sunken in as if he's lost weight, purplish-black bruises under his eyes and then there was that cough. Was he ill? Or was he suffering because he hasn't got power? While I was staring at him, he too is observing me with narrowed eyes, charcoal black eyes that were swirling with hunger.

Then all of a sudden 'I can hear your blood' he says bluntly, whoa! That came out of nowhere.

'What?' I yell out in disbelief.

'You've been emitting this damn intoxicating, sweet smell; if it weren't for my will power I'll probably would have bitten you by now' he lets out a low rumble of laughter as alarm bells ring in my head. Damn, I forgot. He's going to have to bite me to make the contract, and once it's made he's going to be taking my blood all the time. Argh, how could I forget!?

'To be honest with you, as much as I want to drink all your blood….' I flinch, leaning away from him slightly '….I hate the fact I have to use your blood like a power up. I have goals and promises to live for and they won't be honourable if I don't complete them with my own strength' he says with an immense determination. 'It's shameful as a swordsman for me to use your blood as a crutch to achieve my goals'

I couldn't believe my ears. Was he saying he was resigned to die? I felt a rabid flip flop in my stomach; did I have to make the first move here? Was he hesitating for my sake? Or did he genuinely not want a contract? I don't know. I run a hand through my hair, tugging on a clump slightly as I ponder over the situation. There was no denying the stiffness in his posture; he was holding back. The fact he can smell and hear my blood is pretty disturbing but if I walk away then he dies and I live. Well I sure know what I'm doing but I know I'm definitely going to regret this.

I cough to clear my throat 'I feel better now that I don't feel like I'm the only one here who doesn't want a contract' I let out a soft chuckle, the corners of his lips twitch, 'But…Robin-san said it's a must. Or contractors die' her words were really the only thing that's pushing me forward; I scratch my temple, trying to remember what the headmaster told me on my first day of school.

On my first day of school I was summoned to the head teacher's office, now I know it must have been because I was matched to Zoro. I was scared when I first saw Shanks, he looked like he went through a fucking war and barely survived, he had three scars across his left eye and a missing arm that was hidden by a long black cape draped over his shoulders. I came in just as he was putting on his cape, so I just happened to see it by accident.

It turned out he was an idiot, and one of the most laid back teachers I've ever met. He wasn't as strict or cruel as you think head teachers are meant to be, I even thought he was someone you could walk all over. I was very quickly proved wrong. We were talking, now that I think about it, he was probably sussing out if I was a good match for Zoro.

'I understand you're Type Z, aren't you lucky! That's some powerful blood right there, dahahaha' and gulps back a glass of sake. See? Unprofessional.

'You must be looking forward to becoming a supplier' He had asked out of innocent curiosity but I think I had woken up on the wrong side of the bed that day and was in a bad mood so I replied,

'I don't fancy being a refrigerator bu-' Shanks abruptly stood up, a pitch black cloud of killing intent surrounding him and as I recall he was definitely using Haki but of course at the time I didn't know what it was. I momentarily froze in fear and I could not breathe while he lectured me about the importance of blood contracts and that there was no difference between humans, suppliers and contractors. Ever since then, he and Robin have kept as many eyes on me as they can which was pretty annoying.

Anyway back to Zoro, who is waiting patiently 'How did he explain this?' I mutter to myself, trying to remember what Shanks said. 'Okay, I got it. Um, a blood contract isn't a level up' He stares at me silently 'It's more like a reward. The thing that has to level up, so essentially what has to get stronger first, is the bond between us' God, that sounded so sappy 'So the stronger the bond, the stronger the blood so um, I guess you won't be cheating your way through those promises and stuff' ah shit, I just referred something that was important to him as 'stuff'.

Honestly, I completely forgot what Shanks told me but it was vaguely along those lines, though I couldn't be sure. I might as well say I made it all up. A heavy silence settles above us and I feel embarrassed all of a sudden so I twiddle my thumbs on my lap, waiting for him to say something.

'So, what happens now?' he asks after what seems like forever. He just threw me the baton, it was tempting to just say 'You decide' but I know he'll walk away from a contract, he's being nice and letting me choose, probably because I've got the major role as the 'supplier' he will constantly be drinking my blood for a lifetime.

I chew upon my bottom lip 'Um, we….we make the contract?' I say tentatively.

'Were you asking me or telling me?' he asks with a swaggering grin, humour glistening in his eyes.

I swallow so loud that I earn a chuckle from Zoro but with a new found resolve I shuffle closer to him, unsure what to do I grab his large hand and bring it to my neck. This was the green light and I hope he gets the message. He shudders slightly and twists his whole body to look at me with a predatory look of hunger and desire in his eyes. His fingers caress my neck, sending ticklish sensations down my spine; he seems hypnotized by my blood coursing through my veins under his fingers 'What's your name?' he leans in.

'Tsukiko….Yuki' I'm distracted again by that passionate look of his. His face seems to lighten in delight 'I've met you in a dream' he says with conviction and the little voice that's been telling me over and over again that I've also met him suddenly intensifies. As I tell my inner voice to go away he gets closer 'In my dream, I've always wondered what colour your eyes were' I feel his thumb rub beside my right eye, his hand was rough, calloused yet gentle.

'What?' I ask weakly, I was getting drawn in by his eyes, falling deeper and deeper into the black abyss. He was so close, I could feel his temperature radiate from his large, chiselled body, seeping through to me.

'It's a blend of green and gold' that's weird. I too had dreams of someone drinking my blood and calling out my name, well I thought they were nightmares to be honest since they were so fucking random. I never saw the face of the person but their eyes were always the same, eyes like a tempest, a unique assortment of grey, blue and black, exactly the same as Zoro's. But, contracts were made randomly, there was nothing like premonition or visions, you were matched with whoever synchronized with your blood type. Our breaths were mingling together as the distance between us shortens yet I couldn't move back, well my brain could but my body didn't want to.

'You sure you want to do this?' his voice was low and husky. This was surreal and terrifying, I was afraid of the feelings that was erupting inside me ever since I first laid eyes on Zoro. Afraid of the way fortune seemed to be drawing us together, intertwining our destinies so we couldn't escape from each other. I could back out. Stop whatever plan fate had for me.

Out of nervousness I snapped at Zoro 'Do you want me to change my mind!?' I ask incredulously 'why the hell would I just sit here-Wah!' I hear a growl as Zoro pushes me down, his face nuzzling into my neck as the back of my head connects with the arm of the couch. After muttering in annoyance, I find myself trapped underneath the cage that was Zoro's warm body. A moist mouth brushes along my neck, sending pleasant shivers up my spine, my breathing quickens when I feel something sharp pricks at my skin.

'Ouch!' I yelp when sharp teeth pierce through my neck and I could hear my blood being fervently swallowed by Zoro. It was a weird feeling to have all your blood forcibly dragged in one direction, I gasp when burning pain surges through my body like it was on fire.

* * *

**Zoro was in heaven, ever since he had laid eyes on the girl he was drawn in by her emerald owlish eyes, not to mention the aroma of her blood was so tantalizing he nearly fainted himself. Now, he was tasting it, feeling it fill his mouth and flow down his throat. He hissed into her neck when intense pain coursed through him but he remembered Robin's words. That a contract is complete when both partners feel like their bodies were burning, as if on cue he felt small fists attack his shoulders and pants of pain from the snow white beauty below him. Zoro ignored that and focused on the blood, the power that was energizing him, it was spicy, but he could taste sweetness. Like candy. Or wait…..it was more like vanilla. Zoro felt drunk and the taste of her blood was lusciously causing him to shiver and he didn't like it. Well, he did but it was unlike him, he was the epitome of total control…yet...he wanted more…and so he decided that just this time, he'll allow himself to lose all self-control. **

I cried out as he begins to suck harder, sinking his teeth deeper as he presses himself into me, a hand tangling into my hair, while his other hand grips tightly around my waist. Fuck, this was painful! I blink as the pain changes dramatically, ebbing away. My back arches as I feel pleasurable electricity under my skin, it was like there was a flaming, static ball inside my stomach, its electric sparks shooting through me and causing my insides to writhe in agony. Delicious agony. I supress the urge to moan, god I just want to clutch his hair.

What the hell! I'm so mortified at myself, I was just about to go into slut-mode and so in humiliation I purposely stab my nails into my left palm. It was an attempt to divert my focus to the pain but it was too hard to ignore the pleasure that was getting more and more intense and then it simply stops. Well my skin was prickling and an enjoyable knot uncoiled slowly in my stomach; was it going to be like this all the time?

I feel Zoro relax his tight hold on me, we were both breathing harsh, and I unclench my tightly balled fist, blood trickling from the tiny cuts I made. I jump when he begins licking at my neck, I feel my skin being pulled together and there's a sudden hotness and then it was gone. Ah, I've heard that contractors can heal their suppliers, and vice versa but the methods differ slightly. Shit, I did it. I made the contract and now for better or worse, Zoro is my contractor.

My eyes shut close as I concentrate on getting my breathing back to normal and more importantly to stop the warm tingling in my stomach and lower regions of my body. I'm seventeen so it's not like I'm totally unaware of sex but I've never had a boyfriend or anything close for that matter so this feeling was very foreign. As much as I want to say I hated it, I couldn't deny that I was enjoying having Zoro drink from me, I felt so ashamed but then again, all contractors have to experience this which made me feel much better.

I sense Zoro finally lift himself off me, this was just the worst. I hesitantly open my eyes, as I see dark, unreadable eyes looking down at me. I see his tongue dart out to lick blood stains from his lips. That's my blood but I wasn't disgusted, well I was kinda but this was the way things are now and I need to accept that fact. I lick my incredibly dry lips, figuring what to say at such an awkward moment like this. The silence was intolerable so I break it.

'H-how are you feeling?' that was fucking lame.

He blinks in surprise and in an easy-going voice which I was surprised he was capable of, answers 'Much better than before kid' and he gives me a charming smile. But I lose sight of it as he grabs my left wrist 'What are you doing?' he begins to lick at my palm, I wince at the slight sting as his rough tongue scratches against the small cuts there. He wants more? I feel like he took everything I had and more.

'For someone who didn't want a blood contract you sure took a lot' I mutter rudely. There was a resonating hammering in my head, and I feel like I was run over by a train, I guess I was a little bit anaemic too. I wait for his reply but I look away as he gazes at me with half lidded eyes, clearing enjoying suckling from the tiny cuts. He mumbles into my palm 'Your body adapts to the needs of mine, I think. You have to ask Robin, I never went to those damn classes' Hmmm, I should read my text book once in a while.

I jerk when he smirks into my hand; with an evil, cheeky look on his face, he asks 'Did you feel good?' My cheeks are blazing, and so I let loose the entire bottle of emotions that I held inside from this eventful, exhausting day, I pull back my left arm and aim to punch his cocky face in. He blocks it, gripping my wrist once again with a playful smirk.

'I-I'll kill you, you bastard' I pull away, drawing my knees to my chest, shaking in anger 'For your information, it fucking hurt…..prick!' I add for good measure. He hums knowingly, and checks his watch which I notice is a gold Rolex 'Kid, I've got something to do so I'll drop you by the tunnel' and without waiting for my answer he heads up a set of stairs, I could hear him sniggering under his breath and I flip the bird at his retreating back. When I notice that my palm was healed, well I guess he isn't just a cocksure son of a bitch!

I let out a humongous breath and put my jacket on, picking up my bag which was on top of a coffee table and wait. It wasn't long when Zoro comes back down, a black bandana over his head which created shadows over his eyes, three long swords attached to his hip. He definitely was the last thing you want to see late at night, he was like a modern day grim reaper and I hope he wasn't going to do anything illegal. He nods at me to follow me and so I do, and as the cold biting wind whips me, I know it's late as the moon is high in the sky now.

If my aunt and uncle weren't working they would be having a fit, actually they wouldn't have let me out the house. I sure picked a convenient day to come all the way here and make a contract. It was silent as a graveyard; it was like a dead beat town you find in an old western film, I jump when I feel a cold touch on my cheek, for fuck sakes! Could everything just stop trying to scare the hell out of me, oh. It was just the fire user, Ace holding out a bottle of water.

'You look like shit!' I feel like shit, 'Thanks' I say, giving him a dark glare. I grab the bottle, extremely grateful and gulp the water down; it was such a nice feeling to have cool, refreshing liquid rush down my very dry throat. My head was still throbbing unpleasantly so while Ace and Zoro bump fist each other and are buddy-buddy with each other I grab a cigarette and lighter from my bag. After I lit the end of it, I deeply inhale, before letting the smoke loose, and watch it curl lazily into the air. I feel so…..drained. I want to go home soon; I shot an impatient side look to the two males miserably who were staring at me questionably 'What?' I ask wearily around my cigarette.

Ace speaks 'I didn't know little, rich honour students smoked?' they both chuckle together while I pout 'Yeah, we also get drunk, eat junk food and have part time jobs' I quip back with a raised eyebrow, scratching the back of my head. Well I did anyway, but I wasn't an honour student.

I startle slightly when Ace approaches me with a serious look on his face, I keep a cautious eye on him, Zoro too watches him silently 'I don't like you….' he pauses and I wonder where he's going with this but I'm too beat to be aggressive. 'But, you stupidly came all this way just to make a contract with someone you never met and I'm grateful for that' he bowed so low that he was at a ninety degree angle, I feel embarrassed from his sudden formality and politeness but why was everyone harping on about how dumb I came here. I knew that, I didn't want to be constantly reminded.

'I'm relieved that your blood didn't poison him' he says with a smug grin, as he does a 180 degree turn and becomes a prick, I sniff and massage my forehead in frustration but I'm glad my headache fades away. Zoro begins to walk, and Ace joins his side. I guess they were both walking me to the tunnel, which I am grateful for and so I trail after them, taking my phone out to answer the many texts I received.

While we walk I see that the houses that were once white were all now a mossy green, as if they were dying in the poverty and waste that permeated the area. Graffiti adorned every space available and rubbish was piled up high, cars that were parked along the streets were all second hand and mostly been broken into. Everything was different here, it was too quiet. Like the neighbourhood was in mourning due to all the thriving corruption: underground fights, drugs, prostitution, robbery and murder. I'm not entirely sure how and when things got so bad but the government are not exactly perfect. Especially when they let seven of the most powerful and notorious of criminals sit with them, it was an attempt to crack on down on crime but I could not see how. Sure, the big 'Seven' would provide information on other criminals but they were allowed to continue their criminal activity.

A sudden piercing sound of a gunshot echoes through the empty alley we're in and I freeze, the alley is now deathly silent as I internally freak out. My heart hammers in my chest so loudly that I'm positive it could be heard, and adrenaline flooding my blood for what felt like the thousandth time, you would think it would have ran out by now. I stare behind; the gunshot came from not too far from where we were now.

'Oi, why the hell you standing there?' Zoro's low baritone voice makes me face forward.

'B-but someone was shot' I say, forcing my jaw to speak.

'It's better not to get involve in other people's business, so keep moving' Ace answers.

I look between them as they glare over their shoulders, like I was a child that didn't listen to my parents. They were totally unaffected. Not our Business? It's everyone's business to care if someone gets shot in the middle of the street. They were supposed to be students, not cold-blooded killers but they carried on walking like nothing had happened. I was still rooted, feeling bottomless terror; my head lowers slightly as a strange feeling sweeps over me.

What happened in their lives not to panic about a gunshot anymore?

I notice that Ace and Zoro stop abruptly, they both turn round slowly to glare at me, I stare back in confusion wondering where the hate was coming from and then….

'Did I just talk out loud?' I ask wide-eyed.

'Yes' they both answer in unison and there's a heavy atmosphere in the air. I mentally face palm, how awkward. Man, if looks could kill…..ah, I just want to go home.

Ace speaks, in a dark tone 'What happened? Things you can't imagine from your rich lifestyle. I bet the only problems you have is if you have enough money in your bank account, if you have the latest fashion while we…we-' he was getting angry, the temperature was hotter than before so Zoro simply placed a hand on Ace's shoulder to calm him down. Ace clicked his tongue in annoyance while I just look down to the brown coloured floor, unsure what to say. They both walk ahead again and I shuffle after them, but I press three digits into my phone and bring the phone to my ear to call the police when I yelp in pain as my wrist in held in a bruising grip, my phone torn away from me.

'Ouch! What the hell?' I glower at Ace who has my hand.

'What are you doing' he glares back, challenging me. I stand up straight, snatching my hand and with determination say 'no matter what lives we both live, someone got shot….the normal thing to do is call the police' I say boldly.

'No one calls the police here' Ace stated matter-of-factly.

'And you gotta wonder why everything is so downhill here' I reply back sarcastically.

Zoro comes forward and takes the phone from him and hands it back to me. 'Cool it Ace' I thought Zoro was on my side but I was wrong 'I understand you can't comprehend how Upper Yard works but we don't really fancy having more cops sniffing around here. The White Chaser being here is more than enough' He was being civil, but I open my mouth to argue back but he ends everything with 'You try and call the police again and I'll break your phone' the threat seems to promise to break more than just my phone.

I grip my phone as he walks away, everything was just fine between us and now, we've back at the beginning. I'm lost without words. I just don't understand. As I follow behind them, the gunshot still echoes in my ears and I couldn't help but think that if someone shot me, I would want the police to be called. I mean there was always a chance of surviving. I narrow my eyes, and purposely take slower steps behind them; I resume texting, however I send a text to someone I know will definitely do something about the gunshot I heard.

What Ace said, that really annoyed me. First he tells me 'this is just the way things are' but then have the nerve to turn around and say everyone not from Upper Yard have no idea of hell is. Hello? All people suffer, I've certainly had my fair share, and I know plenty of people who also hadn't had it easy yet they've all stayed strong and survived. Hell, there were people in other countries who were in worst situations than growing up in Upper Yard. Ace and Zoro act like they're strong but all they've really done is surrendered to the darkness of Upper Yard. Then again, it's not my place to say that about them, maybe they are fighting to escape but I wouldn't know.

**'**Here' a voice interrupts my train of thought and I notice that the tunnel is right behind Ace and Zoro. Thank God.

'Thanks' I whisper to Ace, who just nods back with a grim expression on his face and I pass by Zoro and without so much as a glance 'I guess, I'll be seeing you around'. It was so tense between us all now. I go through the tunnel, reaching the other side and I see the most welcoming of sights, the clean streets of Water Seven. 'It's good to be home' I mutter to myself and actually walk to my house, extremely happy that I was suspended for a week.


	6. Chapter 5

**Sorry if it's moving slow  
**

* * *

It's been four days since I entered a contract and became a supplier. I didn't feel or look any different but I guess I wouldn't evolve soon, and depending on the current relationship status with Zoro it'll probably be a long time before I'll gain super cool powers. But I reckon it'll be never happen...anyway, would you believe it took one whole day of sleeping just to recover from that long, action-packed day?!

Hell, it was just damn exhausting just to recall everything; I don't even know how my stamina lasted the whole day. So I was grateful at first to be bumming around at home but now I found it kind of boring since all my friends were at school, it didn't help that my brain was pretty much occupied by that gunshot.

The whole of Water Seven was in uproar, the gunshot I heard, was the attempted murder of Iceberg Tom, the mayor of Water Seven. He was an excellent leader and all the citizens loved him because he was just so reliable and sociable. He could be seen walking around and chilling in town, one time he sat down with me and my best friend and had coffee with us. Letting us stroke his favourite pet which was a little mouse that paradoxically went by the name Tyrannosaurus. The best thing about him was he tries his damnest to help Upper Yard and he encourages the citizens of Water Seven and Enies Lobby to help out Upper Yard and this is how those assholes pay him back. I pray the dicks who shot him get what they deserve and worst.

Though when I was watching the news, I was a bit worried that they might reveal who alerted the police, I shudder to think of the many violent and dangerous people who would be after me if they knew I was the one who informed the police of the gunshot. But they made no mention of it, phew and I hope it stays that way. There was still an investigation going on so more details will be released at a later time.

I gave DJ a call; I was still concerned about him since Luffy threw him a pretty powerful punch and not to mention he protected me. He was doing well, annoying and chirpy as always, he even had the nerve to give me the whole 'I'm stupid for going to Upper Yard alone' when I told him what went down after school that day. He was overjoyed when he found out I'm a supplier now, but he did always freakishly get more excited about the whole contract thing while I was anxious about it. But that guy wants a pretty girl to be his contractor, what a jerk eh? He told me to keep my chin up which is so cliché and also that he wants to meet my contractor. That was awkward because even I didn't want to meet my contractor.

Yeah, I haven't heard from Zoro but he has no contact information of mine and I wasn't exactly keen to call him and be like 'Yo, come over and drink my blood' I wonder how long it'll be till he absolutely needs to drink from me, I hope he has good endurance...well that totally sounded quasi-sexual. Ahem, anyway, since I didn't know much about the contract thing, I decided to read my textbook but...the most I did on that front was literally take the book out of my bag. Talk about productive.

It was obvious that after all that sappy bullshit I sprouted, Zoro was not going to open up and be all buddy-buddy with me. He was like an enigma. He was involved in something...something dangerous that I don't want to get tangled in it; I most especially wanted to stay away from Ace and his other friends. I'm hoping that the real reason he walks around with a bandana and three swords is so he can look badass. But, I guess that's wishful thinking on my part.

I heave a sigh and stare down at the mirror image of my face in crystal blue water. My lips were enhanced thanks to reddish-pink lipstick and black eye shadow allows my boring green eyes to stand out with a hooded, sultry effect. I blink when swirling colour dances across my vision: reds, blues and vibrant greens of tropical fish swim mindlessly through the water, their fluttering tails rippling through my thoughts and reflection.

Oh shit, I forgot! I'm at work right now, I shouldn't be dilly-dallying and thinking about my problems! I proceed to sprinkle fish food over the gleaming, cerulean water which was my temporary mirror and close the lid down on top of it. I jump off the step ladder, carrying it over to the next fish tank where a swarm of angelfish stood out amongst peach coral with their off-white beauty. I press my hand against the cool sheet of glass, I was never tired at looking at their monotonous colour as they swan in circles and this was why I was always distracted at work.

'Oi! Yuki! Get back to work!' I bump my forehead into the glass from the abrupt roar, causing all the fish to flinch away from me. 'Ouch!' I massage my forehead and I turn to see Patty, a muscular man with a shaved head and a short black beard. He was wearing a clean, white chef's uniform. Ah shit!

'Yes sir!' I yell, clambering over the step ladder and haphazardly scattering fish food into the aqua tank. I see Patty is watching me from the corner of my eye but eventually he leaves with a satisfied grunt, yelling at my fellow colleagues along the way. I move to the next container of fish which was across the room, my shoes squeaking as I walk over the glossy tiled floor.

It was true when I told Zoro and Ace that I had a part time job, I worked at this spectacular restaurant called All Blue. It looks like an expensive, five star hotel with its tinted sapphire windows and the name 'All Blue' emblazoned at the front with an enchanting, stone mermaid coiled around the name above the massive, double doors. The inside was just as beautiful as the outside with blue and white lights twinkling in the ceiling, dim yellow light shrouded over every table with maroon furniture. My favourite feature and what made this restaurant stand out from the rest was the indoor aquarium that wove around the tables. They were filled with all sorts of tropical fish and multi coloured coral, giving the customers a gorgeous yet calming view.

Once the restaurant opens and the upbeat music starts, a queue quickly forms outside and disappears round the corner. I was already rushing about gathering trays of ordered hors d'oeuvres to engaged tables, and taking in orders to give to the short tempered chefs in the stainless steel, baking hot kitchen. It was a high pace job where there was never a quiet moment, employers come and go as they can't compete with the haste of things.

To be fair, I was not really qualified to work in a restaurant like this but I knew the owners from when they opened their first business, the Baratie which was a small cafe. I was new to Water Seven at the time and I didn't know anyone and was pretty bored so I decided to spend my first summer in my new home working. I was one of their first employees after Patty and Carne. Then five years later they had enough money to relocate and make their dream come true and opened All Blue. However, this was just too fishy, no pun intended there. The Baratie was pretty famous and in the end they did make a lot of money but enough to make this establishment with an in-built aquarium? I don't think so.

I did write it off that they won the lottery but there was one time where I was appointed to be a supervisor for a couple of hours when we were short of staff. A thug came in, demanding to see the boss. I politely told him to come back later but before I could even finish my sentence he had grabbed the front of my shirt, lifting me high into the air. Carne saved me and beat the shit out of the guy, and the police took him away but ever since then a very different notion sprung into my head. But, my bosses were like a second family to me so I didn't want to think badly of them nor did I want them to be in any trouble.

While I was dwelling on this, I was approached by a young couple who wanted me to escort their two kids around the fish tanks which I eagerly accept, anything that meant avoiding running back and forth for a few moments.

Though I was surprised when the woman places her baby daughter into my arms, I was so sure she would cry in my arms since I was a stranger but the cute baby didn't. I took them around, watching their innocent eyes sparkle in awe, I guess mine did too since I was like a kid when it came to the fish tanks.

I got a bit cheeky and headed upstairs to the plush black carpet that led to the VIP area. All the children seemed to have frozen as they stared wide eyed at the ceiling, their mouths slightly ajar. The ceiling was filled with crystal clear water; inside was brightly coloured fish swimming over us, like they were flying over us. It wasn't long before their excited squeals filled the room and I held the giggling baby up high in the air, giving her a good view of the fish as she tried reaching for them.

I knew at the back of my mind it was pretty stupid to be acting like a kid over fish but I couldn't help but want to be childish. I've never been to an actual aquarium before and my youthful days were pretty much cut short, or I guess it was more accurate to say due to circumstances I never had a childhood. I cast away dark memories and continue playing with the three children I was looking after.

Sadly, I had to return the children back their parents, who were at the bar. Their father gives me a generous tip while the children are talking passionately about the different fish their saw, their mother giving them loving smiles and I feel a painful squeeze in my heart.

A tug on my skirt forces me to look down and I see two pairs of bright eyes 'Will you take us around the fishies the next time we're here?' the eldest one asks and I nod, smiling down at them. I chuckle as they yell in delight and I wave them off as they leave, with a big cheesy grin on my face.

A pat on my shoulder forces me to turn around and I see Zeff, my boss who has his hands on his hips, glaring down at me and I begin to feel nervous and sweaty. I close my eyes as his fist comes towards me but he lightly bonks me over the head 'You look like a ghost! Go have a break before you faint! You idiot!' He roars at me, and drags me to the kitchen, forcing me to sit down and gives me a bowl of brown soup alongside toasted French bread.

I reluctantly eat, letting the delicious, warm concoction flow down my throat. My boss Zeff and his son always tried to feed me as they thought I was going to faint any second and it was annoying because I was just naturally pale and they should see me at home, I can eat a mountain of food. But we've had this argument ever since the days I started working at Baratie so I've given up and allow them to mollycoddle me to their heart's content.

Zeff was muttering under his breath, his blond moustache bristling as he cuts and slices various vegetables and break neck speed while I was slowly feeling energized by the soup and ready to get back to my shift. Zeff wasn't having any of it and orders me to go outside, despite the fact I still had one more hour to go before we close. I protest at first but I soon find myself manoeuvring my way through the bustling, humid kitchen, a throbbing bump protruding from the back of my head. I huff and push the door right at the back open which leads to a drive way where we put our rubbish out and deliveries are made. I look at my watch, it's nearly ten o'clock in the evening, man, it's been a long, long day but productive, the most productive since taking my textbook out of my bag.

The cool, night wind fans my warm face and I scorch the end of a cigarette, the fumes relaxing me. I nearly drop my cigarette when the door swings open suddenly and an extremely, lean young man walks out. This man whose face is half covered by silky golden hair, his single ocean blue accented by a unique curled eyebrow is Sanji, the son of Zeff and so in a way also my boss. He's an talented chef with exceptional culinary skills while being a third year at Water Seven High and as always he was dressed to impressed, he was wearing black suit pants with a black suit jacket over metallic blue shirt with a matching black tie. Yes, that was what he wore when he was cooking.

He takes one look at me before his eyes explode into pink hearts 'AH! If it isn't my Snow White, how are you my dear Yuki-chwan?' his pleasant scent of cologne enters my nose and I hunch over, tucking my hair behind my ear 'pretty tired, it's been hectic' I was talking about the day but Sanji seems to have misunderstood.

'Ah, yes. I heard you caused a big ruckus in school' there's a momentarily flash of coldness in his blue eye but it rapidly changes to a radiant, dashing smile as his slender fingers plucks a cigarette from a box. I look down to the ground, in Water Seven High everyone knew everything so I wasn't surprised that he knew but for that kind of reaction, it's like he knows Luffy and Nami. Shit! He'll probably see me as the bad guy. I look away in guilt 'Heh, so you heard about that? Hehehe….he' I let out a half-hearted laugh, flicking ash off the end of my cigarette, placing it back between my lips.

An thorny cloud of quietness forms between us and all I can do is watch smoke drift from the end of the cigarette that's caught between my lips. I close my eyes, hold on a minute. If Sanji knows Luffy and Nami then he must know Ace which would probably mean he knows Zoro...what a small world. His deep charismatic voice interrupts my thoughts 'Sorry, but can I ask you for a favour?'

I let grey trails of smoke escape from my mouth, 'Sure, what it is?' I answer with no hesitation.

'Could you please take over my shift tomorrow, I've got to do something. The old man said it was alright as long as you agreed' Sunday huh? I've got school the ne-no, I was suspended for another week.

'Yeah, I'll help you out' I say, looking up to Sanji with a smile, his eye softens at first and then becomes teary as his lip quivers. Then waterfalls leak from his eye as he clasps his hands over my mine 'Thank you! I owe you one snow princess' he brushes his knuckles against his cheek and I gawkily nod.

He's too god damn good looking!

'You can start by not calling my names with the word snow' I playfully snap, stepping away from his hand. He just chuckles, messing up my hair with his large hand 'I'm gonna go in, I'll see you after work' and he heads inside. I exhale loudly, glad he's gone. He was like an older brother to me but it was still hard not to blush around him, I mean the guy is charming and attractive. I follow after Sanji once I finish cigarette and get back to serving tables.

Its midnight by the time we've finished cleaning up and everyone starts to leave. I'm outside, wearing a black pea coat that cinches in at my waist before flaring out like a skirt, stopping above my knees. I stretch, releasing the tension in my shoulders and back, I got some leftovers courtesy of Zeff as always. It isn't long before Sanji emerges out of the building, wearing a black trench coat 'Ready to go' I nod, hitching my bag higher on my shoulder.

Ever since the Baratie, Sanji has always walked me home despite living above the Baratie. It was the same now, he lives in a small studio above All Blue but it insists on walking me home. I did refuse initially but this guy is stubborn as hell and now it was routine. I walk on the raised edge of the canal, my arms spread out like wings as I balance on the thin walkway. 'Be careful, Yuki' Sanji warns me.

'I always walk on here and have you ever seen me fall off?' I say coolly, twirling around on the narrow ledge to prove I've got good balance. 'That's true' he chuckles and he brings a cigarette to his lips while I face forward again, staring down at the running black water beside me.

'Sanji?'

'Hmm?'

'You're a supplier right?'

'Is that why you attacked Nami-swan?' an unexpectedly sharp voice cuts through me, I nearly topple off in shock and I'm speechless for a few seconds. I wanted to talk to someone about my situation since I knew Sanji was a supplier but the way he snapped at me...

...I think I'm in a state of shock because I feel my anger bubbling within me, nearing an imminent explosion. I raise my hands, rubbing my temples warily, closing my eyes as an attempt to calm down. I jump off the ledge onto peach coloured, cobbled ground. 'See ya, Sanji' I mumble, and I briskly walk away.

'Hey! Yuki wait!' he places a hand on my shoulder as he quickly catches up with me, I twist around, slapping his hand away. My vision blurry for some reason 'Some friend you are, I know what you're thinking' I point at him, my voice rising and grabbing the attention of the party goers around us.

'You think I'm some prejudiced bitch, you don't even think to ask for my side of the story!' I spit out harshly. He falters, his hair covering his face and whispers 'There's no way Yuki-chwan woul-'

I flare up 'You say that bullshit like you believe in me but really you already believe your friends! I'm a bit pissed at the moment so I'm disinclined to tell you what really happened, heh, it's not like it'll make a difference anyway' and with that last outburst I run away from him, before slowing down to a stop 'Sanji that idiot!' I mutter to no one in particular. Something hot trickles down my cheeks and I place my hand over my cheek, tears? Why was I crying? I don't cry. I furiously wipe my tears, holding back sobs, I'm so stupid. I should have learnt my lesson from long ago not to ever trust people.

* * *

**'She was crying?' Sanji whispered to himself as he stood there helplessly, watching Yuki's disappearing back. He crushed his cigarette in his hand, his emotions were torn. He had heard only recently that Luffy and Nami were suspended but he never would have thought the person to have humiliated Nami and punched Luffy, his most precious friends was Yuki. He had always considered Yuki as a close friend, maybe even family and so he found it frustratedly hard to believe what had happened. **

**Yuki was brash and childish but he recognized that she had a gentle soul and that she was caring and understanding when it counted. He also realized Yuki was someone who harboured a dark past; at times she held the same eyes as he did, the same eyes all his friends had. Dark eyes filled with pain. But despite that, he couldn't forgive Yuki for the way she treated Nami and Luffy but he could never truly hate her either. **

**'Curly Brow….what the hell are you doing with my supplier?' Sanji turned to the direction where the low voice came from and that's when he sees a figure wrapped in black, three swords attached to his hips 'Marimo!'**

**'Aren't you supposed to be dead?' Sanji eyes the man; he looked healthier than he did the last few weeks and his mind let out a relieved sigh. It then hits him like a two by four 'Yuki is your supplier?!' Sanji suddenly exclaims. **

**'Yep' Zoro says bluntly. **

**Sanji's eye narrowed at Zoro 'How dare some brutish thug like you is a contractor to such a fragile doll?' **

**Zoro looks at the direction Yuki went, a taunting smirk on his face as if she was there 'Yeah, I guess she's pretty weak' and Sanji couldn't help but wonder if Zoro was being a jerk because he knew what happened between Luffy, Nami and Yuki. Zoro was more of a best friend to Luffy than Sanji was. Contractors and suppliers were supposed to have a close relationship but it seemed like things were going quite badly between Zoro and Yuki.  
**

**Sanji then notices another presence around them and he sees Ace, smiling coyly at him and Sanji gives him a wide grin and approaches him 'Ace, long time no see bro' bump fisting Ace. 'Anyway, why are you guys here?' looking between the both of them, Zoro answers 'We've got a job to do tonight, figured you were going to join us' **

**'Tonight? I thought we were doing one tomorrow?' Sanji frowns and that's when he wonders if Yuki will take over his shift now. Ace speaks up 'we figured we can do two nights since Zoro is back on his feet now' **

**Sanji lights up another cigarette 'Still doesn't explain why you two are here? We were going to meet later tonight in Upper Yard' **

**Ace looks around 'Well, we came here because Zoro's hungry but by the look of things the ice queen isn't here' **

**Sanji knew he meant Yuki, and a scowl formed on his face as he remembered that he heard that Ace attacked Yuki. At that moment Zoro piped up 'You two stay here, I'll go find her' Sanji walked up to him, 'You better be nice to her' his voice furiously low. Sanji decided then that he'll apologize to Yuki when he saw her next, no matter what Yuki did to Nami and Luffy there was no reason for him to snap at her.  
**

**'Why? She hurt our friends; I mean you got annoyed at her didn't you?' Sanji looks to the floor at Ace's words 'We can't forget she saved Zoro's life' **

**Zoro ignores him and heads forward and it didn't take him long to hear it. Her heartbeat. Loud and clear. He unconsciously licked his lips, and he could not wait to taste her sweet blood filled with overpowering strength. The girl was in the distance, walking fast and he caught up quickly, approaching her when he sees her shoulders stiffen before she swiftly spins around. Slashing at the air, with fury in her red-rimmed eyes and he notices the glint of a blade and it takes him one step back to dodge it 'Woah there' he observes her posture and stance for a quick second before writing it off as amateurish and that she had no real skill there. **

**His supplier blinks once or twice before blankly stating 'Oh, it's you' before she places her pocket knife back into her jacket pocket. Zoro's sharp eyes narrow when he notices a scar on the inside of her right wrist, disappearing into the sleeve of her jacket when she flicks her hair back. **

**'Why the hell are you here? you stalking me or something?' she asks harshly, the lights of the city illuminated her face and he saw that she looked tired, her eyes puffy and red. **

**'Only here for one reason kid, I'm hungry'**

I pinch the bridge of my nose, I reaaaally was not in the mood to this brute's face right now, especially not after the whole hissy fit I had with Sanji which I regret. I look up to him, my eyebrow arching 'It's been four days'

'And I'm gonna get hungry pretty often kid, so you best get used to it' he says in amusement, entering my personal space. I feel a vein throb in my brain, and I straighten myself to my full height, I wasn't going to let this prick scare me. But, I feel so puny; Hold on. No way, it's impossible but I…..I think he's gained more muscle mass. His shoulders were wider than before, his chest seems broader as his black fitted cotton shirt accents it. His tanned arms were thicker ropes of muscle compared to the last time I saw him. I knew the guy was strong but he seems more powerfully built, like it'll take one swing of his arm to break a couple of my ribs. Did my blood do that to him? He really looks different from before. The lights from the city was enough to brighten his features, and I could tell that his short green hair seems darker than before, his golden brown skin glowing with health, his jeans moulding to his body and that's when I shake my head. Really? What the hell is wrong with me? Yuki, stop checking him out.

'You like what you see?' a mocking whisper causes me to snap back childishly 'Just noting that you don't look as weak as you did a couple of days ago' it was a pretty lame comeback I thought but I feel aggression roll off him in harsh spring waves. I gulp very loudly, taking a step away from him 'Here' and I extend my left wrist to him, trying to diffuse the situation.

He leers down at him 'Ah, I see you don't want to feel good aga-ouch!' I stomp hard on his foot before he can finish that damn sentence, blood rushing to my cheeks. I freeze when a sudden chill sweeps through me.

'Oi….' I hear a low whisper and I see that there's a murky shadow in front of me, twinkling red eyes burning at me 'You bitch' I laugh out of fear 'I'm…sorry' I manage to squeak out when he grabs my left hand 'You sure have balls kid' and he proceeds to bring my wrist to his mouth, and I see his canine teeth slowly enlarge before sinking deep into my flesh. I gasp when I feel a prick of pain but other than that I didn't feel any weird, sexual feelings.

Though, this may be just as bad as I could see him drink from me, his throat moving as he swallows my blood, red liquid trickling down his chin. His eyes were closed as he enjoys drinking the crimson fluid. After what seems like forever, he finally lets go and he pats at the puncture wounds with his tongue and I see my skin reattaching mysteriously, it's like magic.

Then I remember that he was lapping my wrist with his tongue and I pull my hand back disgusted and violently wipe off the salvia with the sleeve of my other arm 'Happy?' rotating away from him. 'It wasn't enough' he sounded disappointed and I peek over my shoulder and watch this ungrateful son of a bitch, turn around and walk away.

I'm about to follow after him and cause a storm when I feel sluggish all of a sudden 'Get used to it my ass' I mutter under my breath, remembering what Zoro said before and I walk in the opposite of Zoro. I feel like he took his damn fill again so how dare he say it wasn't enough. I feel slightly faint, so I hurry home, eager to get to sleep.

I push my key into the front door of my house when I notice the living room light is on. I quietly enter the house, pushing the door close, glad to be home when wafts of strong tobacco enter my nostrils and I go pale. That could only mean one thing. My uncle was home. I look to the living room and I see it's filled with a thick cloud of white smoke and I tip toe past when I hear 'Where are you going?' a voice rumbles from within the fog and I stand outside the living room.

'I-I'm home' I say anxiously.

'I heard from Hina, you got suspended, that's unusual for you kid. You're more sensible than that' he did not sound angry but he was displeased.

'I was….protecting a friend' I give him the short and sweet version which seems enough for my uncle. He doesn't say anything but the mist seems to float to me, slowly solidifying and forming into a muscular, white haired man with two cigars from the corner of his mouth. Yeah, my uncle's a contractor, with a pretty cool devil gene power since he can create, control and become smoke. Ah, if I had that I could disappear from anyone, several faces come to mind.

He slings his large jutte over his shoulder, his hand reaching down to tousle my hair affectionately, 'You don't look so good, you work too much at that restaurant' and I stay silent, not sure what to say 'How are things with your contractor?' he gives me a rare wry smile, I guess Hina told him.

'They could be better' remembering the way we parted ways, 'Heh, don't worry. Soon enough, you guys will learn to trust each other, well you don't really have a choice' I give him a quizzical look, wanting more information but that was all he was giving me.

He then turns serious 'Yuki, don't ever step foot in Upper Yard again, it's too dangerous and you, of all people should know that' and with that warning he slinks upstairs, transforming into a ball of smoke like a creepy ghost. I whisper 'Good night' before heading upstairs, rubbing my eyes, man I could feel heavy bags under my eyes. The moment I see my inviting bed, I collapse into it and promptly fall asleep.


	7. Chapter 6

I let out a wide yawn as I lean against a tall lamp post within the plaza of Water Seven, my whole body shivering from the frosty morning air. The large cobblestoned clearing with a massive fountain in the middle was packed with people enjoying their Sunday. Trees that were symmetrically dotted around the plaza, had their branches forced to move by the constant autumn gales, red leaves whirling wildly in the air as they were ripped off by the relentless wind. The grey-coloured sky was so gloomy that I couldn't help but think it was reflecting my mood since I was still a bit down from yesterday

'Hey, come and play with us' I grit my teeth.

'Ne, are you being shy?' I feel a vein pulse in my brain.

'A cutie like you shouldn't be here alone' these three college idiots have been constantly flirting with me for a while now, and at first I was flattered but when they couldn't take no for an answer they turned into irritating gnats just waiting to be swatted away. I close my eyes, trying to drown out their voices and thoughts, I could hit them but I've had enough violence for this week and decided to take the 'ignore them' approach but it doesn't seem to be working. You would think they would get a clue already.

I cross my arms over my pleated red coat, creating a metaphorical iron wall but I realise that my right arm is being pulled away from me 'Oi, we're asking you reaaal nice. Come and play with us' one of the older guys had his hand wrapped tightly around my wrist and my body was twitching with the need to brutally roundhouse kick this leering jerk. My ears perk up when I hear an echo of 'horo, horo, horo' I know this laugh.

'Heh' I sneer, my lips curling up maliciously 'Perfect timing' snapping my hand away.

There's an ethereal chant of 'Ne-ga-tive' and the three guys look up in fear as smiling, ghosts hover around them. The unearthly figures float through the three guys and the result is instant. They turn blue in the face and slump over on all fours and in dejected mumbling voices they regret the day they were born. I roll my eyes, flipping the bird at them and simply walk over them, bee lining for my best friend.

I reach a girl with long, pink hair that was tied up into high two pigtails, any loose small wisps of hair were held back by black and white flower shaped hairs pins. A red and white fluffy coat was wrapped around her slim body, protecting her from the cold. She sees me and her red lips twist into a scowl and she narrows her eyes that were accentuated by a thick layer of eye liner. 'Yo Perona!' my mood substantially improves and she huffs, flicking her magenta hair over her shoulder and we begin walking together, shoulder to shoulder.

'You damn brat, why the hell does trouble follow you?' she asks me in a manly manner of speaking despite her looks and I shrug at her question. 'I have no clue, honestly'

Her face softens 'I guess you have always been the type to charge in headfirst without thinking things through' she comments, reflecting on past memories. My shoulders fall as I look at her with a suspicious look, was she complimenting me or insulting me?

'What do you suggest I do next time? 'I ask, wondering what on earth she was remembering.

'Run' is all she says and I sigh; that's Perona for you: tough as nails and regal, she's a real rich, honour student. Anyway we telepathically agree not to talk about anything serious for now and enjoy some retail relaxation, going to shops and trying on new outfits, buying new accessories and make up. I actually miss her presence, not that I don't see her but sadly she goes to Enies Lobby Academy which I was also supposed to go to. The only reason why I didn't was because I was on the waiting list for Enies Lobby Academy and by the time they finally accepted me I had already finished one week at Water Seven High. Long story short, I was too lazy to change schools, boy how I regret that decision now.

If I were to think about it seriously, I could transfer now, we were what? Maybe four weeks into the first term of school. Oh my god. It just hit me, I've been suspended after just attending school for three weeks, and I still had another week till I was able to return. Isn't this kind of bad for the future...

'Oi, you hungry?' Perona taps my forehead, peering into my eyes as I'm forced to leave my mind 'Er, yeah. I'm pretty hungry, now that I think about it' We've been wandering around the mall for a couple of hours now so to satisfy our grumbling stomachs we head to our favourite restaurant. Wonderland Cafe which you can guess is based on the novel yet with an extra helping of gothic themes.

We enter the dream like cafe where one wall was dark green, with psychedelic smudges of brown, artistically casting a forest scene with the top lined with a blue sky and powdered white, puffy clouds. If you look closely at the layers of paint you can see yellow-green cat eyes that floated amongst the sea of green, almost grinning at you which was kind of unnerving. It looked so real that I'm expecting a Cheshire cat to actually reveal itself, no joke.

Glued to another wall was a charming man wearing a gothic-style top hat and in his hand was a steam punk pocket watch, he was rushing on a winding path that led to the next wall. Yes, they had cleverly represented animals as humans and it was pretty cool to see that interpretation. On the next wall was the infamous Mad Tea Party which was abstractly painted, again, animals symbolized as humans. Near the bathroom, the walls were covered in human playing cards that were painting white roses red, they also had vases of plastic white roses that were given the impression they had wet, red paint dripping off the petals.

The ceiling was covered with the Queen of Hearts, who was smiling all snooty down at us all, making the 'Off with her head' gesture with her hand. We sat on plush beanie bags, mine was in the shape of a black spade whilst Perona sat on a red heart, atop of black and metal Victorian tables was a little brass bell that we can use to ring a waitress to take our order. I love it here, it was an antique and picturesque place, the smoky greys, red and blacks were creating a comfortable, warm atmosphere.

When the waitress returns with our food, I waste no time in taking a long gulp of creamy, warm hot chocolate. I lick fresh cream off my lips before sinking in my seat and chewing on a chocolate digestive with the words 'Eat Me' atop of it in icing. Perona crosses her legs, whipping her hair behind her shoulders 'So, tell me what happened this week? I didn't have enough patience to read your ridiculously long text messages' I made a short sound with my tongue in annoyance, darn it. I spent ages relaying everything and this is what she tells me, what cheek!

I stab my white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake with my fork, taking a bite before explaining everything that happened. It took a pretty long time since I diverged on a tangent and spoke about how I felt about each situation and that I really had no clue how to approach Zoro or how to treat his friends...excluding Sanji since I decided I was going to apologize to him. I'm panting slightly at the end of that explanation...correction, it started out as an explanation of events and quickly transformed into a vehement rant.

Perona takes a long sip from her tea, reminding me of the Queen of Hearts that was bearing down on us 'Nami, Luffy, Ace, Sanji and Zoro...' she recites the names as if she was reading out a boring shopping list, what she says next is unforeseen. 'They are friends of Usopp-kun' I stare at Perona for a good minute or so before blinking several times.

Three,

Two,

One,

'No way!' I explode, it was a delayed reaction but I'm just so shocked that the slim, dark skinned, easy going teenager was mixing with people like them 'You're lying!' I yell childishly, oh by the way, Usopp is Perona's supplier. In case it wasn't obvious, Perona is a contractor, one who can conjure up ghosts which totally fits her disposition.

Perona frowns at my reaction, knitting her neatly threaded eyebrows together 'I'm not lying' and she gives me a small smile before it disappears as she looks irritated at me 'Why the hell did you go to Upper Yard alone!? You have a death wish or something! Idiot!' and I fall forward, my head hitting the table softly 'Give me a break please, Perona!' I whine, I've heard that one sentence too many times now.

'You're so tragic' and I could totally imagine her giving me a dirty look right now 'Anyway, a word of warning. Ace, he's the older brother of Luffy'

I look up at Perona, my chin resting on the surface of the table 'You mean the one I unthinkingly punched?'

'Yes, he's pretty protective...and you said 'unthinkingly punched' what do you mean by that?' she tilts her head to the side in puzzlement.

I sit up, leaning back with my hands behind my head 'I didn't plan on punching Luffy; I think I had a stroke or it was the effects of Haki but I blanked out for a mere second. Next thing I know, he's on the floor knocked out. Haki's pretty crazy right? I mean all the students around us had fallen to the floor'

There's a clatter of cutlery and I see Perona is staring wide eyed at me in shock, she had dropped her cup but luckily it was empty but the lone cup was on its side, rocking slowly to a stop 'you alright?' I ask, reaching for the cup and setting it upright.

'Um...yeah. just….it's just...I'm just amazingly stunned you were able to withstand Haki' she gives me a smile but it was obviously fake. I'm curious to know what was really up with her but if you push her to reveal her true feelings when she doesn't want to, then out come her ghosts. Having one go through you is a pain in the ass and believe me, I know. I trust Perona to tell me when she's ready.

'...I see' looking up at the ceiling, silently mulling over things. The smug smile from the Queen above me reminds me of someone and I open my mouth 'Do you….speak to Zoro much?' I ask, dropping my head to stare at her.

'He's the one I see the most out of Usopp-kun's friends, but we mostly engage in small talk. He's the silent type, quite ambitious, rarely smiles and I've never seen him laugh. But his friends are definitely important to him'

'Of course….' I say quietly.

'Actually, now that I think about it, you would have met them all at Usopp-kun's birthday which you were supposed to come to' she kicks me hard under the table 'Ouch! Sanji had to go somewhere suddenly and I had to cover Sanji's shift at All Blue, sorry' rubbing my shin. Duh, Sanji wanted to go to the party, of course. It makes sense now.

'Hey…are those guys….they're not involved in anything dangerous are they?' It's a question that's been racing through my mind constantly.

Perona takes a neat nibble from her Victorian sponge cake 'Yuki!' she's speaks so sternly that I sit up to attention 'I can't tell you that. As much as it pains me to say this out loud, but I am their friend and it's not my place to tell you each and every one of their secrets' she does look very unhappy at the thought of being friends with them. I guess what Perona is saying is true and I shouldn't be poking my nose where it doesn't belong...but I just want to establish that Zoro is not in anything weird.

'Why don't you make peace and become friends with all of them, excluding Sanji and Usopp-kun obviously' her statement surprises me.

'Whyyyyy? I understand befriending Zoro...but all of them...is there any point?' I complain.

Perona is very patient with me and she calmly replies 'Because they are nakama, they do everything together and I highly doubt you'll find Zoro alone. So isn't it better to erase the negative feelings you have for them and take the first step in forming a friendship. You and them, you aren't bad people. I reckon you'll get along more with them than I did' I highly doubt that but I admire her positivity. I consider her sage-like words and they do make sense, I should say sorry to Luffy and Nami, especially to Nami what I did was...pretty low.

'When did you become so wise?' I joke, getting my bag ready 'Because I am Perona-sama' she sneers and I laugh 'You're seeing Kumashi here in a bit? Say hi to him for me, I gotta go to All Blue' I've been keeping an eye on the time, it's half three so I've got thirty minutes to get to my part time job. Kumashi is her silent, bear like boyfriend who Perona can be quite strict with but he loves her to pieces and she's happy. I give her a hug and she grumbles in my arms, embracing me back 'See ya'

'Take care of yourself, and if I see you in a pathetic state again then I'll negative you' she warns, her evil apparitions peeking out over her shoulders and I nod nervously. I pay my half of the tab and with a final wave to Perona I leave the café, placing my headphones over my ears and walking away. My head nodding to the beat of the music, zoning out into my own world as I walk back to the plaza. Ah, I feel so much better now.

Once I reach the plaza again, I stop in front of the geyser like fountain that was sending arcs of water in to air and in a good mood I flick in a couple of copper bellys. A scorching hot gust flies by...what the fuck! I spin round but only to be ambushed by a thick, hazy thread of smoke shooting past me. I follow the column of smoke as it rises to the sky and my jaw drops to the ground as I witness fiery orange flames and clouds of white smoke writhing and twirling in the air. It was violently beautiful to watch the two elements dance together but that's when it hits me. This wasn't a freak of nature…..it was two contractors fighting it out. More precisely my uncle and Ace! I watch in awe as they clash again and again but it was no use. Fire and smoke cancel each other out, and I think they realise too because they separate from each other, forming back into tiny human figures and falling behind some buildings in the distance.

Holy shit man! I glance up at the sky for a final time before heading down a set of stone stairs, I hope my uncle is alright. He's mega strong so he should be okay but i found it strange that I was worried for Ace. Why on earth did Ace have my uncle chase after him? I walk beside a stream and I'm aware it's empty of boats which was the town's transport, actually, I look around me and the street I'm on is empty. I switch my music off, removing my headphones and letting them hang around my neck. It was eerie quiet. I know the weather was dark and depressing but people were always out and about, especially on a Sunday meaning something was very wrong. Did this have something to do with why Ace and my uncle were fighting?

'Ladies and Gentleman' I jump with a little squeak as I hear a tannoy speaking loud from atop of a street post, its message being relayed all through town 'I shall repeat, the city is on lock down. All citizens, for your safety please stay indoors, take refuge anywhere you want as long as you remain safe. It's too dangerous to be outside right now'

When the hell did they send this message out!? I quickly check my phone for any messages and I see Perona has texted me 'Why aren't you here yet? They sent out a lock down message just after you left! Don't tell me, you put your headphones on didn't you! You idiot! Come back here!' Ah right, my headphones. I read her text a few times, not paying attention while I was walking and I ended up bumping into someone, 'Ah sorry' I say distractingly, not even glancing up at the person as I type back a quick reply to Perona.

My wrist is violently grabbed, stopping me in an instant and I unintentionally shot an icy glare over my shoulder when I see a lean yet muscular man with spikey blond hair. His slanty eyes make him seem sleepy but I was getting dangerous vibes from this guy and I had an instinctive feeling that this town may be locked down because of him.

'So-sorry' I had to leave right now, this was not a good situation to be in.

'Watch where you're walking next time-yoi' I'm a little bit confused at his way of speaking but I let out a relieved sigh. He turns around but as he does so, it's like time slows down, his unbuttoned purple jacket billows, revealing his bare chest or I thought it was till I catch a glimpse of a cross and crescent moon moustache symbol, it was a dark blue symbol of….

'Whitebeard' the words leave my mouth and I clamp it shut, but the damage is done. The thug stops, before revolving around back to me. 'I didn't think rich kids like you would know this tattoo-yoi' I slowly back away, of course everyone knew of Whitebeard, he was East Blue's most wanted criminal. He was the leader with an army of crazy-strong people and he was one of the main pillars competing for control of Upper Yard.

'We don't live sheltered lives if that's what you're tryna say' I mentally smack myself for shooting my mouth off. He stands there, his hands deep in the pockets of his grey jeans and he silently watches me. Was he sizing me up or something? Or was he wondering what to do to me? He then casts a dark look, his head tipping over his shoulder and I lean my head to the side to see what he was looking at but I don't see anything behind him.

'The Calvary's arrived huh?' he licks his lips in delight, and he takes a wolfish step forward 'Seems like the top dogs of the police force are here-yoi, so it's gonna get dangerous for me-yoi' I have a bad feeling about this 'You don't mind being my hostage for a little bit-yoi' I think what Perona said about trouble following me is true. I reach into my bag, my eyes never leaving the predator before me but if I go by her words, it's also true that I charge in.

I fling my arm forward, raising a can of pepper spray before him 'Stay back, or I'll blind you into next week' I wasn't going to let this punk bitch use me as he likes. He looks flabbergast, his dull eyes opening wide before they twinkle with amusement, he cocks his head to one side and he's about to step forward. Was he underestimating me? I'll show him.

'It's your lost' I declare as I enter his personal space, bringing the small canister to his eye level and with no hesitation press down hard. I don't see him reeling on the ground, screaming in agonizing pain….hmmm, this was not going how I imagined. A bead of sweat trickles down his temple and he sneezes while a familiar honeyed, fruity scent enters my nose. In realization I scuttle backwards and I look at the small bottle in my hand and I recognise it's my perfume…

I feel like I've been hit by one of Perona's ghost. My soul was trickling away from my body. I'm so useless, I want to die. How the hell did I take out the wrong bottle! Well this really does fulfils Perona's words of 'charging headfirst without thinking'

'You…' the guy brings a hand to his face '….you really had me there-yoi' his shoulders were shaking, what's wrong with him? Did I manage to scare him? 'It's been so long since the last time I felt this fear-yoi' I hear a muffled sound, then a snigger….was he….he was laughing at me!

I blush in anger and humiliation 'You're a riot kid-yoi, you remind me of a few idiots back in Upper Yard-yoi!' he wipes a tear from the corner of his eye. He gives me a wide smirk filled with joy 'I didn't think rich kids like you could be this cool-yoi'

Cool? He thinks I'm cool….even though I epically failed….seriously? All the hostility vanishes and he steps before me and I shrink 'w-what?' glowering at him and with a honest smile he says 'Give me your phone'

Was this punk trying to mug me now? I cautiously hand over my phone and then he enters something into my phone before he tosses it back to me. 'Give me a call if you need anything kid-yoi' I look down at my phone, seeing the new contact 'Marco'. That name...it rings a bell. Hold on, hold on, hold on, what was going on here? He gives a wave over his shoulder 'See ya around, kid' and he crouches.

_Whoosh _There's a brilliant flash of blue and elegant, sapphire wings of fire sprout from his back. My heart skips a beat at the captivating image before me. My hair blows around my face as he flaps his wings and flies into the air. I clutch my phone to my chest and let out a defeated sigh, my legs collapsing beneath me and I fall to the ground in a heap. What the hell? The tension must have left my body but am I dreaming? Did that all just really happen? I feel a headache coming on as question after question laps around my mind, the coolness of the concrete making me cold. I don't really understand what happened but I think….I think I've made a friend somehow. My phone vibrates in my tightly clenched hands and I look at it, I've received a text and I slowly stand up while looking down at the screen. It's from Zeff, 'The city's been locked, so don't you dare bring you sorry face here!' and I laugh to myself. I guess for once this week, it's been a good day. Shit, I should probably give Perona a call; she's probably going mental right now.

* * *

**Ace landed harshly on ground, flames extinguishing away from his body and he looked around him and smiled, the gritty shit hole of Upper Yard was always a better sight than the clean streets of Water Seven. He cradled his side since it was throbbing painfully 'Damn that Smoker….getting all serious' He hears the sounds of someone landing behind him, recognizes the presence and ****puts on a happy expression ****as a blue phoenix metamorphoses into a man, who was extremely in a cheerful mood.**

**'****You look happy' Ace said, feeling woozy. **

**'****And you look like shit' Marco retorted.**

**'****Well, that wild dog Smoker was on my ass, his damn Jutte is no joke' rubbing the back of his head trying to ignore the pain in his side.**

**'****Hmm, I had a pretty good time. Didn't know rich kids were so amusing' he held back a smile as he remembered the girl's failed attempt at pepper spraying him.**

**Ace looked back at him blankly 'No, all rich kids are bratty and up themselves and absolutely obsessed with money' except for one person Ace silently thought to himself. **

**'****I thought so too' he had only wanted to mess with the girl at first and he had imagined her to cry and wail for her 'Daddy' or pay him off with money but instead she had reacted completely differently from what he foresaw. He let out a snigger before stopping himself as Ace looked at him with concern  
**

I let out a sneeze, and I wipe my nose, frowning as I watch the news. Someone better not be thinking trash about me.

* * *

**Blood draining in next chap guys! **

**Thank you guys for faves and follows!**


	8. Chapter 7

**'AAAAAAaaaa' The sound of metal slicing flesh rung through the air and Zoro's opponent fell to the ground, moving no more. Zoro hunched over, breathing heavily. 'Shit' he said in his mind as he was at his limit; he should have found the girl before doing this job. He had previously believed he was enough for this job and he'll be done in no time but no one told him his opponents would be this strong and high in numbers. He looked over his shoulder and saw Ace and Sanji struggling with the enemies around them, and he was glad that they were stubborn and followed after him. He straightened up, preparing to strike down a incoming enemy when he heard the quiet cling of a trigger and he twisted abruptly and instincts rolled over him as he tried to recoil away from the line of the shot.**

**He let out a silent wheeze as his breath was torn from him when he felt a hot wave of shock blast through him, the crack of the shot deafening. He awkwardly fell backwards and he saw the moon in the night sky and its pale white colour reminded him of someone. **

**'...Yuki' he whispered as he lay on the cold, cobbled street. His own blood flowing freely from the wound on his chest and he closed his eyes and all sounds around him faded away like he was shrouded by a damp blanket.**

* * *

**'**Achoo!' bless me.

I stretch in my chair leaning back; it's been three days since the incident that resulted in the whole town being locked down. There was mild scuffle between Whitebeard's people and some members of a rival gang but still it was serious enough to assign Water Seven to a curfew. It was just in case there was some thugs still scurrying around town since no arrests were made that day, not if the police wanted to condemn us all and piss off a monster.

That monster's name was Whitebeard and he was a force to be reckoned with, even we citizens knew it was better to let him do as he pleased as long as he stayed in Upper Yard. Basically, he'll bring the thunder if any harm comes to those who carry his mark and what makes him highly dangerous was his devil gene power. Not only can he create earthquakes in the ground but he can rip through the sea and sky and he could with one fist turn Water Seven upside down. The police were pushed into a corner as they weren't sure how to deal with Whitebeard but there has been talk of making him one of the 'Seven' but I don't think he has an interest in that and besides it'll only cause more harm than good. Ah, I only know all this thanks to my uncle and aunt who were officers of the police force which I should have probably mentioned sooner. Actually Hina is a captain while my uncle is well on his way becoming captain so that's why they were always away from home.

I push my chair back, balancing perilously on two legs and stare up at the black ceiling that I unsystematically scattered dots of fluorescent yellow paint, giving the impression there was a star filled sky in my room. I've been lounging at home as always since I've been suspended and I have learnt my lesson, I am never getting suspended ever again, it was just so boring. DJ was able to go back to school this week so I couldn't even jam with him but I've made more use of my time this week than I did last week, aside from getting a new haircut and colouring my hair red which, by the way had no effect whatsoever on my black hair.

I've been reading my textbook on suppliers and I understand a lot more than I did before. One of the things I learnt was that apparently Zoro can sense where I am and find me which explains why he happened to be in Water Seven that one time. I too should be able to call him and summon him to come to me but who wants to do that? This almost psychic power comes from the bond we created when the contract was completed, from that point on our bodies synchronised together and we're supposed to be in tune with each other but these useless powers would only work once me and Zoro stop being stubborn and work harder at being friends.

I let my chair fall forward, landing on all four legs with a loud thud and grabbing my cigarettes I get up. Huh? That was bizarre…I just felt a sudden urge to go outside, maybe I was feeling restless, well can't be cooped indoors all the time. I wrap a dressing gown around my body, covering my pyjama shorts and vest top before heading downstairs. I open the door and plop myself in front of the house, sitting on the doorstep and silently smoke staring at the horizon before me. It was weird to see the streets quiet and empty, especially to see Water Seven pitch black aside from the dim, yellow street lights. Normally from here I could see the many lively colours of Water Seven and hear the bustling crowd of party goers but thanks to the curfew it was now all deserted, I'm expecting to see a bale of reed to roll past me like in those western films. I allow my back to rest against the door behind me, looking up and gazing at the night sky, the days have seemingly gone by so fast and so much crazy stuff has happened.

If anymore drama happens I don't think my body could take it, my emotions were reaching a dangerous precipice and it felt like my mind was never at rest, just constantly thinking about…god I don't even know. Ash falls from the end of my cigarette, scattering into the air as I look over to my right to see silhouettes of people walking to me, I sigh, taking the last draw of my cigarette and put it out carelessly and get up, dusting my backside off. I stand my ground as my eyes decipher through the darkness and I make out two…no three people but my body stops working as the people eventually stop before me. I bring both hands to my mouth in disbelief as I whisper 'Oh Jesus' just when I said I couldn't take any more drama, it literally gets dumped in front of me!

'Yuki! Please let us in! Zoro…he…he needs help!' an exhausted Sanji shouts frantically at me, blood trickling from the hidden side of his face and down his neck. The systems in my body seemed to be malfunctioning one by one as I stare in horror at the person Sanji was helping to stand up. Zoro, he….he was fighting for breath that came out in ragged, torn portions and my fear began rising as my heart was beating like mad within my chest. Any words I wanted to say were stuck in my throat as my eyes were drawn to the dark pool of red that had taken over the front of Zoro's torso as he clutched his chest in pain. Blood was pouring out of Zoro's chest...

'Snap out of it!' I'm aware of someone shaking me and I snatch my eyes away from Zoro and look up at Ace who is also injured, a huge slash on his naked chest 'We need to get inside!' he pleads and I take in a deep breath, trying to get my body to whirl back to life and open the door 'This way….just up the stairs and go the first room on the right' I step back to let Sanji limp in, struggling with a wounded Zoro on his back, my eyes following the trail of dark crimson. Fuck…..this can't be happening. I take in a deep breath, giving my cheeks a few slaps. I need to get my head together and not go into shock which I seem to be heading for.

Right, now I don't feel like I'm going to faint anymore. I turn to Ace to demand what happened when his body falls forward, and his extremely warm figure collapses on me and I catch him just in time and somehow manage to prevent myself from falling back. But hell, it was no easy task.

'Oi, you alright?' He suddenly thrusts me away and the words 'Fuck you' were on my tongue but I notice he's swaying slightly and after giving him a deadpan stare I grab his arm, slinging it over my shoulder and pull his body against me. He grumbles, struggling to get away from my hold 'I'm okay' he states. Yeah right.

I click my teeth, not letting go of him 'You're a mess man, like seriously, even I could kick your ass right now' he stops and stares down at me silently and I give him a questionable look, unable to tell what he's thinking. He releases a breath and relaxes, placing his whole weight on me that I nearly buckle 'Oi! You bastard, you did that on purpose!' He pouts at me 'Some help you' he chides me and I growl. 'Just shut up and walk'.

We walk into the house and I manage to kick the door shut behind me and awkwardly help Ace up the stairs. Trying not to be distracted by the wine red pools on the floor, thank god we had wooden floorboards otherwise it would be a bitch to clean all this up. I struggle to hold Ace's weight; my body burning with the strain, but I have a feeling the me before the contract would not have made it this far. So I was getting stronger, that thought makes me feel a tiny bit better about the whole contract with Zoro but honestly I just want to drop Ace and let him crawl to my room.

We enter my room after what seems like hours going up a flight of stairs and I immediatly waver when the strong copper stench enters my nose. There was dark red liquid splattered across the wooden floor of my room and my bed was already drenched in blood as Zoro laid there, in agonizing pain as if a million hot blazing spikes were gnawing on his body. I shudder under Ace's arm and repress the urge to vomit and ease Ace into my armchair which was opposite the bed on the other side of my room.

I stand there watching Sanji tear off Zoro's top and using it to stop the bleeding and that's when I realise Zoro is bleeding from the heart. Shit! That explains all this loss of blood. 'Sh-should I call the ambulance?' I wanted to leave the room; the thick smell of the blood was nauseating. I'm ignored as Ace speaks up 'Have you called Chopper?' well that's a name I don't know.

'I did, but I don't know how long it'll take for him to come' Sanji fluidly lights a cigarette and I frown, hoping the fire alarm doesn't go off and I go to open a window which gains Sanji's attention to me. 'Yuki….thank god you're here. It's like fresh air seeing your face' I can't believe that he's acting like his usual self despite being covered in blood and hurt himself.

'Your blood can help him' Oh right, my blood can heal him, actually that isn't right. My blood merely speeds up recovery so in this case I'll be able to stop the bleeding but he'll still need a doctor to stitch his chest up and there'll probably be a scar. I mechanically push the sleeve of my left arm up when Ace shouts 'that won't be enough! He was shot in the heart so he needs all your blood, so give him your neck' he makes it sound like I was literally a blood refrigerator. But my brain was getting distracted and I focus on one word 'Shot! What's a high schooler doing getting shot?'

'Just go' Ace shoos me forward and I go to approach the bed when Sanji places a hand on my shoulder, stopping me and he bites his lip nervously, looking between me and Zoro. 'Ace, I can't do this and no, don't look at me like that' the temperature rises by a few notches but Sanji kneels before me as Ace shouts in protest but a hand cupping my face forces me to focus on Sanji 'He's lost a lot of blood and it's a pretty serious wound. You guys...well your blood is not powerful yet….there's a chance he might die even if he drinks from you but there's also a higher chance that you'll die too'

I step back in panic 'what do you mean I'll die?' my right eye twitching slightly.

'In this state, he could drink your blood to the point your heart collapses from being overworked'

Oh…..

Ace stands up; squaring up to Sanji's face 'Great, you've killed Zoro!'

'I understand you don't like Yuki because she punched your brother but if she has latent Conqueror's Haki that's powerful enough to punch Luffy out than she should be strong enough to withstand this'

'Like hell she's going to go through with this!' Ace retorts back and they bicker angrily.

Everything they were saying was unreal…..me having Conqueror's Haki heh, their injuries must have made them confused in the head but more importantly. What if Sanji's words were true, what if I die? I wouldn't be able to see Shiro and Hina anymore, they were like my parents. What about my best friend Perona? I would miss that ghostly laugh of hers. I wouldn't be able to make fun of DJ ending every sentence with 'pu' nor visit the zoo with him to see turtles. There was a lot of people I wouldn't see anymore….Coby, Helpammo, Zeff, Sanji, Patty, Carne, Ussop, Kumashi….it's excruciating to even think about not seeing them ever again.

But….if Zoro dies then that was kind of painful to think about too.

'Sanji' he stops bumping foreheads with Ace and looks at me with worry 'I'll do my best to bring him back with me, so do whatever you can here' I narrow my eyes at Ace, pointing at him 'I've got a score to settle with you asswipe, so I sure as hell ain't dying today'

I stride to the bed, nearly skidding on the thick crimson liquid on the floor and hover over Zoro, huffing in concern 'I can't believe you got yourself in a state like this' he's responds, looking up through the unbearable haze of pain he was in. But despite all that he manages to shoot a glare at me before coughing slightly, a small trail of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Taking a deep breath to once more relax my senses, I reach for my pocket knife which was in the drawer of my bedside cabinet. I unsheathe the blade, bringing it close to my neck and close my eyes as I cut a thin line along the side of my neck and it actually hurt. I notice Zoro has stopped all movement. Good. His predatory instincts have kicked in and he longer feels pain as every inch of his body was focused on me. I do kind of regret doing that when he sits up slowly, looking at me like I was a piece of mouth-watering meat. He lunges at me, one hand digging deep into my shoulder while his other hand grabs a fist full of my hair, I hiss in pain as I'm dragged to the bed in a quick flurry of movement.

I shiver as blood from the saturated bed seeps through my clothes to my back, my skin erupting into goose bumps. I wince as the hand that was tangled in my hair pulls my head to side, better exposing my bleeding skin to him. This Zoro was completely different from the usual Zoro, he was like a untamed beast and I had to tread carefully.

'Breath' I told myself as I felt like I was on the verge of hyperventilating. Zoro looked over me, his eyes black with desire, ah I see. He must be desperate as it's been a while since he drank from me. With sudden eagerness he presses into my neck, his lips brushing against my throat and I feel a tingly feeling down my spine and with no warning I feel a stab of piercing fangs tearing through my flesh and I suck in air to scream but I stop. The sting was suddenly replaced with that good-for-nothing warm feeling. Damn, I forgot about the sexual stuff. This was way more passionate than before and it was slowly growing, I wriggle beneath him, trying to ignore the sinful heat in my stomach.

And….god damn it there it was again. That stupid need to grab Zoro's dark green hair, no Yuki no! What the hell is wrong with me? As an attempt to avoid the voice telling me to just let go I stare at the ceiling but it was hard to pay no attention to what was happening right now, especially with Zoro drinking noisily right by my ear and he was making strange noises that sure as hell didn't sound like he was in pain. Oh dear, this is just way too weird.

The drinking seems to slow down and Zoro looks up at me, his mouth stained with my blood 'I'm done' he says in a gruff voice and I roll my eyes. I could feel blood pouring out of his chest and I place a hand on the back of his head, pushing him towards my neck to silently encourage him to keep drinking. My eyes involuntarily close at the second invasion of sharp teeth but they fly open when I feel something hard poking me in my hip…..are you serious right now? He was aroused….my god, he was on the verge of death and he somehow managed to muster enough energy to get a freaking boner! Use that energy to save yourself! You muscle head idiot!

'mmmp' I hold back a moan as Zoro suddenly grinds hard into me, causing a shot of electricity to go through me. It was like my restraint came completely undone and I melted into the stimulating sensations. It wasn't long before I could hear an orchestra of our combined gasps, barely there moans and the occasional slurps from Zoro. There was a weak voice telling me that I had changed and this wasn't me and I shouldn't be like this. That voice could piss off for all I care, and I relished the delicious and addictive pleasure that was running through my veins like honeyed wine, blurring my senses in a drunken haze of ecstasy. I found myself falling into the chaotic maelstrom of heat, desire and pain…..and then nothing.


	9. Chapter 8

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I blink open my eyes; looking up at the unfamiliar ceiling above me, why do I keep waking up in unacquainted surroundings? It's becoming a habit now to wake up in a soft, comfy bed after passing out. But, I was alive so I could breathe easy, I extend my arms above my head to stretch when I jerk when a heavy arm ambushes me out of nowhere, landing on my chest. The sound of rustling and movement attracts my attention and I move my head to the side and I blink twice before sitting up sharply, tossing the limb in the process.

I impassively take in the heavily bandaged, sleeping Zoro who doesn't even stir and there's a feeling of elation that he was alive….. It was so easily tempting to go back to sleep but my eyes wandered over Zoro's dusky body, he was so large. Even with the many white dressings swathed around him I could still see the ridges of his muscles running over his chest and shoulders, his sculpted face was relaxed as he was in a deep sleep and my body was itching to move closer to have a better look…..

"You're alive" a sleepy voice startles me and thankfully forces me to wrench my eyes away from Zoro. Okay, so maybe I am not alright, I had a sudden urge there to run my fingers over Zoro's cheek. I should probably check myself into a psychiatry ward to make sure my brain was fine. I mentally tear hair from my scalp when I realise Ace is in the room with me. How long was he sitting there beside the bed? He did look tuckered out and his eyes were red, he must have been watching us for however long we were asleep but he dozed off at some point.

I cross my arms stubbornly "I did say I would come back with him" I boast, hoping Ace would not see the slight blush that appeared on my face from when I was stari-no _admiring _Zoro. I feel the skin on my neck prickle in pain and I bring a hand to it and I feel a large band aid there. Didn't Zoro close the puncture wounds after drinking from me? Ace, who I notice is acting strangely bashful answers the question in my mind "Zoro went to sleep immediately after so Chopper gave you medical aid" he hides his eyes beneath the shadows of his orange hat.

I get a whiff of a weird herbal scent and medicine and that's when I realise my surroundings. It was a small quaint room, filled with books. It wasn't a bedroom but more like an office room, was this some private clinic because it smelled like a hospital but it was more cosy looking. "Where am I?" Ace does a quick glance at me before staring at the floor again, my temper was slowly rising due to his antsy behaviour "This is Chopper's house, he's the doctor whose been looking after the both of you. You passed out, and then Zoro fell asleep after he was full and so Chopper came right then with my brother Luffy"

"Luffy?" I arch an eyebrow but Ace disregards me and carries on "Once Chopper deemed the both of you stable we moved you two here." I was still reeling at the fact Luffy came, though it was probably to check on Zoro. "Nami and Vivi cleaned your house otherwise your parents would have walked into a butcher's house" he chuckles while I bring a hand to my forehead "Shit, I completely forgot about that mess"

"The girls left a note saying you were at a friend's house for when your parents came home. Do they work late?"

"Uh….yeah they can work pretty late" I lie without missing a beat, I didn't know anything about them, and so they wouldn't know anything about me. I was still confused about the whole Luffy and Nami helping me out and there was still more questions I wanted to ask. But I couldn't take it any longer, Ace hasn't looked me properly in the eye and he was acting oddly civil with me. I swipe my legs over the bed and face Ace properly "What's wrong with you?" Wow, this Chopper guy must be an amazing doctor; I felt so springy despite having my blood drained.

"Ah….Uh…Just, well" he tries to avoid the answer before he takes a deep breath and looks at me with a weird look on his face "It was pretty hot to watch you guys" he gives me a vexatious grin and I feel my cheeks go through all different kinds of red, realising what he was referring to "You were pretty erotic and we didn't think you would, man…..it was like something out of a porn-ooof!" I harshly threw a pillow to his face "Fucking pervert!" I murmur before hunching over and cover my face with my hand, flashbacks of what happened on my bed appearing in my mind. I completely forgot they were in the room as well while I….I…Shiiiiit! Now I wish I was dead, this was the worst.

Stupid contract with its stupid, sucky, sexual blood draining.

I sit up to face Ace "Ummph!" I'm attacked by Ace's counter attack pillow. Alrighty then...I crack my knuckles ominously, I was craving a cigarette but there are other ways to release stress "You're dead" I declare and reach over to pinch his ears hard "OW! You bitch!" he tries to push me away while pulling on my hair, I was bit taken aback when he was playfully rough housing with me…..I figured he was going to barbeque me.

The door opens and there is a loud, shrill yell "ACE!" and we break apart. Ace shivers in his seat while I watch a young boy stride to us, his white lab coat fluttering around his slim figure; he had a smooth baby face with large chocolate brown eyes and a mop of coffee hair. But I sit back on the bed when this angel whacks Ace around the back of his head "The patients need to sleep you fool!" and I couldn't supress the chuckle that escapes my mouth and the brownette turns to me after telling Ace off.

"You still need to rest" he was just so adorable and I couldn't take this kid seriously, what with his feathery, chestnut brown locks surrounding his child-like face. "Ne, are you playing doctor? That's so cute" He wasn't much taller than me so he must be a tall kid who was in middle school. The kid tries to give me the evil eye and I couldn't help but giggle into my hands, would it be a criminal offence to just kidnap this boy and keep him?

Ace who was pouting in his stool, replies sulkily "This is the doctor, Chopper"

A few seconds go by "No way! How can this kid be a doctor! How old are you?" I ask the kid in disbelief, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Sixteen" he replies shyly.

"See? He's sixteen, there's just no way he's a doctor. I mean he's younger than me by a year!" I turn to Ace who just yawns loudly.

"But, I am a doctor!" Chopper faces me with determined eyes, sparkling with resolve. Incredible…..I place a hand on his cashmere-soft hair and gently caress it "That's amazing. You're like one of those child geniuses" I say, smiling at him, he was just so freaking cute! Though I frown when he smacks my hand away and childishly cries 'Shut up you bastard!' but I see him wriggling in joy with a pleased grin on his face. He doesn't take compliments well does he?

'Oh shit…' Ace whispers, he has yet another dumb look on his face. I swear if this guy is recalling Zoro drinking from me I'll bury his ass. I immediately ask 'Now what's wrong with you" glaring at him with disgust.

'You can smile….' He says solemnly.

Did he really just ask me that? Boy, we really have gotten off on the wrong foot "Of course I can smile, sure I'm not a people person but I do have friends" I pat at Chopper's head again "Plus, how can I not smile when there's such a sweetie like him in front of me" giving Chopper a soft smile who beams at me before acting like he doesn't care for compliments.

He begins checking that my body was functionally normally "Why do I not feel totally exhausted?" that was bugging me too, the other times I've felt faint and drained. Chopper was in serious-doctor mode so Ace answers for me "Chopper must have given you an herbal treatment to help you recover your energy. Also….." he looks pass me and at Zoro who was still sleeping behind me "You guys have synched…..probably. Or it could be because you've slept for a day"

I nod, not quite taking in what he was saying before I look out at the window and I see its pitch black already "A day!" I do a mental check and relax, my uncle and aunt wouldn't be at home right now but I'm sure one of them said they'll be here tomorrow. But, man. The timing worked out perfectly. Lucky!

Chopper takes the stethoscope out of his ears and strokes my head "You're strong…just like Zoro. I mean, this is probably the second time he's been so close to death' he says with worry, and a deep sadness. 'Chopper!' there's a sudden swirl of heat around us and the loud, booming voice causes Chopper to squeak and literally tackle me, his arms tightly wound around my neck. I manage to stop us toppling into Zoro who is right there behind me. What the hell is up with this heavy sleeper?

Anyway, I sit up with the small bundle snuggling into my chest, my heart thundering violently because Ace sort of frightened me too. The atmosphere became tense and ugly and I assume what Chopper was talking about was not for my ears, Ace hadn't accepted me just yet. No, it would be too easy if we all became best friends just like that. Yes, I was being sarcastic. But, to think he still didn't trust me despite the fact I risked my life for Zoro is just unbelievable man. What more will I have to do to gain Ace's trust let alone the rest of Zoro's friends?

I cast a look at Ace, signalling him to apologize to Chopper, I didn't know the little doctor but I felt very overprotective of him. Ace swallows, and with a guilty look he says "Sorry Chopper, I-I didn't mean to shout" Chopper lifts his head out of my chest, blinking away his tears before running up to Ace and hugging him. I tilt my head as Chopper forgives him, he's so loveable. How dare Ace shout at him, the mean jerk!

I check my watch, it was nearly eight in the evening "I should probably get home…." Though there was a small part of me that wanted to stay and see of Zoro wakes up. Ace hands me a bag which I recognise is my duffle bag from home "The girls brought you back some clothes" and he tosses my house keys over to me "We'll wait downstairs for you" and he leaves the room while Chopper directs me to the bathroom which was just in the adjoining room.

I say thanks to Chopper and head to the bathroom and I notice that I'm still wearing my dressing gown which was gross as it was covered in dark stains of dried blood, Zoro's blood. I eagerly get out of my clothes and get under the shower that was raining down warm water. I watch as red water spirals around the plug hole before turning clear, I didn't think there would actually be blood on me. Once I feel squeaky clean I leave the shower, wrapping a towel around me and I look around the bathroom to realise I left my bag outside, in the other room.

I open the bathroom door and step out to see a half-naked Zoro before me, completely awake and looking stupefied as he gazes at me, draped in only a towel. I should turn around but again my eyes wouldn't leave his body, he was only wearing black pants and my eyes travelled along his muscular build, taking in the scars that weren't covered by the bandages and I was curious to know the story behind each one. I blink my eyes to look at Zoro properly so he didn't think I was ogling at him, well I was but he didn't need to know that.

Zoro broke eye contact, taking a deep breath and then the unbelievable happened, he smiled at me and it wasn't a cocky smirk, or a mean grin but a breath-taking smile that completely threw me because I never expected him to be capable of doing such a thing, particularly not to me and why the hell did my heart squeal delightfully? I look down to scowl at my heart when I'm reminded that all I was wearing was a towel so without thinking I turn around, maybe I moved too fast because my feet got all tangled and I fell hard on the pink carpet. Feeling frustrated and highly embarrassed I get up while ensuring the towel was tightly wrapped around me but instead of walking back into the bathroom, I literally dive into it. Guess what? I miss the door frame completely and crash into the wall instead.

"Owwww!" I clutch my head and I feel a bump forming and that's when I hear laughter, I peek over my shoulder and Zoro was laughing softly and I couldn't help but blush heavily "You alright kid?" he gives me a kind smile, his eyes brimming with happiness instead of disdain, I wave a hand "I'm fine…maybe" and I waddle back to the bathroom. Oh, my god! He already thinks I'm an idiot and now he'll think I'm completely useless! I'm so dumb, I should have taken my clothes before coming in here…damn...this is not my day! My shoulders slump forward as I sigh wearily and I turn back around and I open the door, hating the way the door has to creak so loudly.

I find Zoro right before the door and I couldn't help but slowly stare up his bare chest before looking at him in the eyes. He hands my bag with a smirk and I look away, my cheeks were definitely beetroot red "Thanks…." I'm about to close the door again when Zoro speaks "Ace told me everything" he looks at his palm "I didn't think you would hear me" he wiggles his fingers before curling them to make a fist. He was probably suprised to be alive, I mean things were more than testy between us but somehow my blood was strong enough to save him and me. But I don't know what Zoro is talking about "What do you mean?" I hitch my towel higher, this was really awkward. I hope we can end this conversation soon.

"I called out for you….wasn't that why you were outside?" Oh….was that the reason I went outside. Because of him? Or was it mere coincidence? "Um, to be honest….I don't know how that power is supposed to work….but something got me out of the house, that might have been you" that was the best explanation I could give him, we probably should test if we can call out to each other telepathically.

"It's good to see you're alive and kicking" I lightly punch him in his hard stomach before faltering as his face transforms into an unreadable expression, his eyes were narrowed and he wasn't smiling anymore. Did I mess up? I close my eyes as he reaches for me but I feel his fingertips tracing the bandage on my neck and I hiss as he rips it off with no warning and at once I sense my blood oozing from the aggravated, open wound "Hey! What are you doing?" he moves closer and silently cups my face with one of his rough palms. I look at him in befuddlement as I have no clue what's going on through his mind and what he meant by his actions. He gives me a cute smirk before bending down and nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck while I make a stupid "eek" sound as the movement emits a ticklish thrill down my spine.

I can't breathe as my lungs tremble and all my strength leaves my body as I couldn't move nor push him away what with his tongue moving along the blood trail on my neck. A shiver wrecks through me as I feel warm puffs of air against my neck "Thanks for saving me kid" his deep voice is pleasing to my ears and I feel his mouth hover above the open wound he imprinted. I tightly shut my eyes as his tongue gives it a slow, sensual lick before he punishes the wound with a firm bite…was he going to drink again? He doesn't drink but he begins suckling on my skin, Zoro was conquering my senses one by one. It was like I was on drugs; inefficient drugs that gave me this feeling of euphoria and made my body ache for some sort of relief. It was extremely infuriating that I was captured by Zoro's touches and the worst thing was, I don't understand what this all means.

He pulls away after sealing my wound, I'm glad he simply turns around with his back to me, I don't want him to see my stupid, muddled face I have on "Thanks" I mumble and I tread carefully back into the bathroom. Damn, I scratch my wet scalp in annoyance; I don't get what Zoro's thinking and moreover, I'm furious at myself for just standing there and taking it. I swear, next time I won't let myself be dragged by the pleasing stimulations…it was only because of the contract, it's not like I was attracted to him or anything. Absolutely not attracted to him. Right?

**Zoro wasn't sure what just happened, he had moved impulsively when he felt a large and insistent feeling in his chest to provoke a reaction from Yuki. There was no mistaking that the girl was very much taken with his body, but he didn't dislike it when her enormous, swirling shades of gold and green eyes sent showers of sensations down his body as she took in every muscle, blemish and scar. He had previously assumed the girl, like any other person from Enies Lobby was pretentious but she had this kick-ass volatile and defiant side to her. Today, he got to see she was adorably amusing and captivating. Each and every reaction and gesture he witnessed since yesterday was endearing and he couldn't explain why, his body was filled with turbulent emotions and he felt a headache coming. He let out a growl "it must be the contract". It's not like there was a deeper feeling in their meandering relationship. He slapped a hand to his forehead, now was not the time to have these trivial thoughts, he needed to train and get stronger. He looked over his shoulder and stared at the closed door where he could hear the life-force of the person in the bathroom "Thank you" he stated one last time. He remembered how close to death he was and it was all because of Yuki he was standing there strong, and healthier than ever and with that he left the room. **


	10. Chapter 9

**Sorry guys, been busy trekking to Thorpe Park before spending the week in Amsterdam so hopefully with lots of hard work I'll get two chapters out this week! But don't count on it. Keep reading guys!**

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Sometimes I can't believe the nerve of some people.

I, Yuki Tsukiko risked my own life to save someone who I barely knew and additionally disliked. No, Zoro wasn't the cause of my irritation since he said his appreciation but I was sort of annoyed that he left while I was in the bathroom getting ready but that wasn't such a big problem.

Ace is the one I've got a bone to pick with but let's back track a little: So, Zoro left to god knows where, despite just waking up from a gunshot to the chest but before leaving he adamantly told Ace to walk me home, Sanji was nowhere to be seen so I assumed he was at All Blue which meant Ace had to be the one to walk me home. I refused at first but Chopper had to look at me with his large, puppy dog eyes which I'm pathetically a sucker for and therefore Ace and I both grudgingly walked together to my house, in uncomfortable silence mind you. He leaves me in front of my house but before bursting into hot, orange flames and soaring into the pitch black sky he told me one thing which honestly, I already knew,

"If you think this makes us square, then think again. I haven't forgiven you for hurting Nami and Luffy, and don't go thinking they've accepted you either"

No, I wasn't annoyed at that either. What pisses me off is the fact Ace didn't show an ounce of gratitude that his friend Zoro was alive and he totally knew I could have died giving so much blood to Zoro. I mean there was a short moment where he was being completely civil and almost friendly to me but it was like the moment he went downstairs to wait for me, he remembered what I did to Luffy and Nami and instead of letting bygones be bygones he just decided to be a jerk to me again. I didn't save Zoro life to get noticed or anything but it's the principal of at least acknowledging what happened, it was a really bad situation with serious consequences.

Right, rant over.

The rest of the week went by like it was on fast forward and both my uncle and aunt had the weekend off and so we spent time together doing family stuff like shopping in Water Seven, eating dinner and watching movies. It was a lovely weekend because not to sound sad or anything it can be lonely when they were at work. Yesterday however, my uncle called me to his office room and a wave of thoughts went through my mind, like did he find out I was smoking? Or that I ate all the cheesecake in one day? Or did he realise I had brought an injured contractor into the house? I mean being a cop makes you really perceptive.

"Portgas D Ace goes to your school doesn't he?" He said, blowing out a thick cloud of smoke which I hope obscured my completely thrown off guard face.

"I know he's a third year…." I say vaguely, does this have anything to do with what happened last Sunday when my uncle and Ace were fighting?

He scratches his chin, contemplating before dumping a folder thick with papers which were surely important "There have been rumours of an uprising, new member who has recently joined Whitebeard's gang" aren't I lucky to be privy to this information?

"I haven't got solid evidence but I believe Portgas may be that new member" There's no way Ace is a member of Whitebeard. But what do I do if he is? Aren't I in some serious trouble since you don't lock horns with Whitebeard's men unless you want a death sentence, maybe I should get on my knees and beg forgiveness?

"Why would a third year be involved with Whitebeard?" I ask, trying to have sneak look at the files on his desk that was creaking under the mass of paperwork there.

He ignores me and goes on to say "I'm not asking you to do anything dangerous but if you happen to hear anything then that'll be more than enough. I'm serious Yuki, don't go following him or anything" he tells me sternly and I nod lamely. Ace can't be a gangster…he sure looks the part and he's suspicious as hell but to be a part of a dangerous group, I doubt it. I don't like what I've been tasked to do but if I just tread very carefully around Ace then no problems should arise, not to mention shit will go down if Ace does happen to be a member, moreover if he ever finds out that I live with cops.

Anyway, let's go back to the present. Today was Monday and since I finished my suspension I can go back to school, woo. I slurp refreshing, tangy mango juice through a straw and enter the black gates of the school but the moment my foot touches the courtyard, the students who were mingling around all stop what they're doing to stare at me.

It was exactly how it happens in those cheesy high school movies, where the protagonist finds out that they've been the centre of the school's gossip.

As I stand there quietly shooting daggers at them, I'm aware of the whispering, it was faint at first but it isn't long when it gets louder, like a swarm of bees getting agitated. I crush my empty carton in my hand before tossing it away and causally shove my hands deep into my pockets, I walk through the crowd who get out of my way, watching me while I could hear snippets of what some of the students were saying which I gotta fucking say, didn't improve my mood much.

"That's the one…you know the first year who attacked like five contractors?" For real? If they're gonna natter they should get their facts right.

"Wasn't she the one who caused a commotion during the opening ceremony, she was dragged out right?" Ah man, people still remembered that.

"Glad someone's showing those bloodsuckers that they don't belong here" I had enough. It was too early in the morning to deal with this shit. I cover my ears with my headphones and enter the building where the situation doesn't improve. Students inside did the same as the ones who were outside. Luckily for them, I could not hear what they were saying and I just headed for my locker, not making eye contact and not giving them the satisfaction of a reaction. But it was getting on my nerves, the feeling of a thousand eyes on you is not a pleasant experience, I could feel their stares crawl all over me. My aggression needle that was close to starting a rampage reduced back to zero when I see someone leaning against my locker. I shouldn't stir up a storm….not when I've just finished being suspended.

Managing to smile I call out to my friend "Yo DJ" DJ Gappa was leaning against my locker, cheekily giving me a lop-sided grin. His face still had patches of dark purple bruises from the powerful punch Luffy handed to him but other than that he seemed okay.

"Glad to see you're back-pu. School's been a right bore without ya-pu" he moves away from my locker while I chuckle, I really did miss his unique way of speaking. "So, you alright now?" I twiddle in the combination of my locker while he answers "Of course-pu. Takes more than a rubber punch to take me down-pu"

"Ahaha right….glad you're fine and dandy" my locker squeaks open and I'm both glad yet surprised that my locker was not pranked. "You should be careful-pu" I notice that DJ has lowered his voice and I turn to him with a quizzical look "Because of what happened people think you're prejudice-pu, contractors especially….." indicating behind him with his eyes "There are contractors who want to mess with you-pu"

I subtly look over my shoulder and I see two third years some distance away, certainly looking in my direction. One of them was a pale skinned, muscular man with bright red hair which made his head look like it was on fire; he had this violent aura about him. Definitely from Upper Yard, I conclude. His friend was just as bizarre looking as him; he was wearing this white and blue helmet with headphones over him. I jerk slightly when the red head catches my eye and I manage to give him a cold stare even though I was panicking internally but I refuse to lose this staring contest.

His lips curl into a delightful, almost murderous grin and he turns to say something to his companion before turning around and leaving, my shoulders slouch as I relax. Not gonna lie but they looked fucking terrifying…..I should be careful….maybe.

But not only that, I didn't want my friends getting hurt on the account of them being associated with me-_Lub dub. Lub dub. Lub dub._

I scrunch my nose up in puzzlement when a throbbing in my head suddenly gets louder, what's even more weird is that for the last couple of days I've been constantly hearing this faint pulse in my head. I figured it was some sort of headache but it doesn't hurt, nor cause any kind of discomfort; to be honest it was sort of nice. Most of the time I even forgot it was even there but this is the first time it suddenly got louder and clearer. Is it a tumour?

I close my eyes, rubbing my temples in hope it'll make it disappear when I hear DJ next me squeak and scuttle closer to me and my back is overcome with a tingling sensation when two people walk by very close behind me. I look again over my shoulder and my eyes widen when I recognise the two individuals walking down the corridor, Ace and Zoro. So much for saying hello, assholes. I huff under my breath, retrieving books out of locker and placing them in my bag, it's weird seeing Zoro with just the one sword, I guess he's not allowed to bring all three swords into school-oh. Hold on, the beating in my head, it's going faint again. I look back at Zoro….is that what it means when suppliers can sense their contractor's presence? Well shit, I was evolving. It's so strange and surreal to think that my body was changing into something almost supernatural but seriously man...it was way too early in the morning for this. I'm gonna need a nap later.

* * *

**Zoro feels eyes on him and he can immediately tell it's her, not that he needs to see her to know where she was. It was weird to hear her heartbeat within his head but he couldn't deny he found it quite pleasant and useful. It helped with counting reps when he was weight lifting and he thought it might be an interesting work out if her heart sped up suddenly. Also the rhythm of her heart lulled him to sleep instantly, like counting sheep. He turned to Ace who was walking by his side who he realised was tense after seeing the girl "So Shanks let you back into school a week early?"**

**"Yep…Luffy too...this is confusing because he was furious at us for using our powers in school"**

**"Well maybe Robin said something to him?" Zoro placed his sword over his shoulder and he frowned as he felt light without the other two swords. **

**"Probably" Ace stretched "So….you're doing it tonight?" he turned to Zoro who grinned devilishly "Of course, seems like a good cash prize and I need the money"** **Ace looked over his shoulder, watching the snow-white girl lazily walk through the corridor behind them "You have to bring her out with us?" his voice was nearly becoming whiny.  
**

**"Isn't that why we have suppliers?" Zoro quipped.**

**"I s'uppose but her presence pisses me off" Ace shot back bitterly.**

**Zoro stayed silent since he couldn't say the same, he knew exactly what Yuki had done and he should have showed his wrath, especially to the person who hurt his friends. However, upon meeting the girl for the first time he knew that she wasn't the type to hurt people for the fun of it. She was doing what she could in her power to protect her friends, and there was no arguing that Luffy, him and the rest of his friends had exactly the same mind-set. ** **His mouth twitched as he tried to repress a smile, he had heard from Robin, Luffy and Ace that Yuki might have Conqueror's Haki, and it tickled his insides with excitement at the thought of having a powerful supplier by his side. He was looking forward to seeing how much potential Yuki will develop in time. **

* * *

"About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him, and I didn't know how dominant that part might be, that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him"

A very slim, well-endowed woman with dark green eyes places her copy of the Twilight novel on top of her desk before standing up and sneering at us all with cruel, ruby red lips "Coby" her eyes settle on him "Please tell me your opinions of this passage" There she goes again, stupid 'Iron Mace' Alvida picking on Coby. She shouldn't be a teacher, I mean not only does she purposely bully students she despises, but she turns a blind eye to most of the violence that occurs in the school, especially if it's towards humans. I lean back in my chair, making eye contact with the short, chubby boy with glasses and pink hair and give him a wink and a thumb up. He gives me a nervous smile and sits up straight to show he wasn't cowering from the pressure of Alvida picking on him unfairly.

It's because of her that Coby and I actually became friends. It all started in the opening ceremony where the headmaster was giving us a welcoming speech and these laddish first years thought it would be funny to punch and kick Coby who was sitting in front of them. Iron Mace bitch was watching the whole scene but was just chuckling to herself, enjoying the show. Of course, I was sitting right next to the whimpering Coby who was on the verge of tears and because of my uncle and aunt I possessed a strong sense of justice so you could probably imagine what happened.

I threw the chair I was sitting on at the guys before shouting at Alvida and telling her off for not being a good teacher and that she should be fired. That's also when I met Robin for the first time; she used her weird replication power on me. I freaked out, causing more of a scene but come on, how else is one supposed to react if severed arms sprouted out of your body from nowhere? I was removed from the ceremony and sent to Shank's office where he asked me about the whole "looking forward to being a supplier" question. When I was let out, I was surprised to see Coby waiting for me and that's when we became friends, later on he introduced me to Helmeppo, a lanky blonde boy and a week later DJ joined our mismatched posse.

But Coby's got a lot more confidence now and Alvida would never go so far in front of a classroom. I sit forward again, placing an elbow on my desk, my chin resting on my palm as I give the unopened Twilight book in front of me a bored stare. I could not be bothered with a dull masochistic girl, sparkly vampires and fickle hearts. Beside, reading Twilight was a propaganda scheme to get everyone all hyped up about entering a contract but the thing is, everyone in Twilight is good-looking. With a contract, you're not going to get that sadly, so I was pretty lucky with Zor-no. I immediately evict those thoughts from my head since I promised myself not to think like that about Zoro.

"Yuki!" An shrill, annoying voice calls out to me.

"Fuck" I murmur under my breath, curling my fingers into a fist on top of my desk.

"Huh?" her voice was laced with hot anger "Mind repeating that?" she stands before my desk, glaring down at me with unfriendly eyes. The whole class is awake now as Alvida starts her daily routine of trying to embarrass me in front of everyone which fails every time as I have always been just one step up.

"Yes, Alvida-san" I say in a fake sweet voice while giving her dark look.

"Could you tell me why Bella is in love with Edward?" she smirks like she gave the most impossible question of all. I scratch the back of neck, not because I was thinking but because it was currently getting stabbed by Luffy's menacing stare, I had completely forgotten in the one class we shared together, he sat right behind me.

"Because he's good looking" stating the obvious causes the class and Alvida to snigger and Alvida believes it's her win so she decides to punish me more "Care to elaborate?" I hate that word, I don't think books were written to have every sentence analysed ten times over.

Fine, let's get serious "Throughout the book she tediously describes Edward's looks and she's not your average teenager so she likes Edward's old fashioned mannerisms. But if you look closely at their relationship, you notice they don't actually have anything in common and I don't recall a riveting conversation they have together which brings me to believe it's merely lust. Or other people would want to call it chemistry or destiny" I conclude, leaning back in my seat and crossing my arms over my chest. Heheee it's my win, bitch.

The class and Alvida blink stupidly at me as Alvida has no choice but to admit defeat "A good answer Yuki...well done" she says forcefully and she clicks her tongue and her eyes scan the room for another victim to pick on. I look at the clock in front of the room, just ten minutes left and I can head off to the roof to smoke. I've been craving a cigarette ever since this morning and I'm not so keen to have an encounter with Luffy who obviously wants to speak with me after this lesson. I'm not ready to talk to him yet, moreover I wanted to speak to Nami first and tell her I am sorry, plus I didn't really care about Luffy since he really could have hurt me badly and he ought to apologize to DJ first. I also wanted to keep my head down and avoid contractors such as that red head and face mask dude, seems like things could be kicking off again anytime soon. I let out a tired sigh and look out the window and watch dark, grey cloud creep across the sky, seems like the weather was agreeing with my mood. How depressing.

When the bell finally goes I make a mad dash for the door, escaping Luffy's consistent glare that was making my neck ache and with my head ducked down I head for the stairs that led up to the school roof. Upon pushing the door open I'm attacked by the icy cold gales that breeze through the roof, I slowly make my way to the metal balcony railing of the roof. I get out a cigarette from my pocket and light the tip of it before placing it between my lips. I close my eyes, taking a long drag and holding it in my lungs, boy these last few weeks have been stressful, I mean I've gone through a pack every week since I made the contract with Zoro and I am not a constant smoker.

I slowly exhale, letting my whole mind relax, all my worries floating away and dissipating along with the smoke. I yawn so loud that my jaw clicks, I feel so sleepy now maybe I should rest my eyes for a bit. I spin around and lower myself to the ground, my back leaning against the railing, and I set an alarm on my phone before I close my eyes.

* * *

**Zoro lets out a yawn, scratching the back of his head and pushes against the metal door that leads to the roof. He shudders as the harsh winds goes through him and he's not surprised to his supplier sleeping on the roof, he was aware that the rhythmic beating in his head was steadily getting louder when he got closer to the roof. He softly walked to her, kneeling down before her and his dark eyes trailed over her face, noticing that the black locks that were covering her eyes looked darker against her creamy white skin. He could hear her blood swimming through her body, emitting its potent scent of strawberries and copper combined with her natural smell and tobacco which he found made a delicious combination to his nose. He reached out to her face, the tips of his fingers slowly stroking over her cheek and he was surprised at how soft her skin was yet how cold it felt. He retracted his hand, and shrugged his blazer off and covered the shivering girl before sitting not so far beside her. His eyes got heavier and he fell asleep, soothed by the lullaby of her heart.**

* * *

I sit up, finding myself amongst a patch of moss and I get up, my bare feet squishing into the soft mossy flesh. Where the hell am I? An icy cold gale sweeps through me. Where am I? Something tickles the back of my neck and with a high pitched gasp I turn, immediately opening my mouth in awe. Behind me was like the perfect tree and I reach out to the dark chocolate bark and I'm astonished at how smooth it felt. Something brushes by my ear, blowing shivers down my neck and whirl around but I see it's just many towering trunks swaying in the wind, their spreading branches framing the sky above me. Strands of moss draped elegantly over the branches. Hold on, it is just me or does everything seem mossy as hell here?

I look up to the sky as I feel something warm and soft flutter over my face and I see its snow. I tilt my head to the side as I ponder over the bizarre phenomenon of warm snow but the scenery disappears when I hear a loud beeping sound. I feel so comfortably warm but I wrinkle my nose as a pleasant scent enters my nostrils, it was a combination of a musty, metallic odour which reminds me of steel and an almost earthy, sandalwood kind of scent alongside a whiff of sweat. It was weirdly relaxing though. Oh? Was I dreaming? I should wake up now otherwise I'll be late for my next lesson.

I slowly open my eyes and I discover the source of the smell and warmth, draped across my shoulders is a light blue, school blazer. I blink when I notice the owner himself sitting a short distance beside me. Zoro! I sit up stiffly, wincing a bit as my back hurts. The sky is darker than it was when I first got up here and I frown, getting up and tearing the blazer off me. I gaze at the sleeping Zoro, his large back resting against the metal rails and I'm curious why he gave me his blazer.

I really don't get him.

I crouch before him and I ask myself, how is it I have never noticed this person in our school before? Sure, Robin said he skips but he must have attended once or twice. Again my eyes travelled up and down his body and I notice for a brutish fellow he wore his school uniform almost fashionably. The sleeves of his crisp-white shirt were rolled up, revealing his freaking muscular arms; his tie was crooked and hung loose from his collar. The buttons of the top of shirt unbuttoned giving a sneak peek at his bronze skin and collarbone. The hem of shirt untucked, three gold earrings dangling in the wind, dark eyes peering deep into my eyes…

I drop the blazer before him and scuttle backwards in shock as he lets off a loud yawn, drool trickling from the side his mouth while rubbing his stomach; it was hard not to compare him to a large lumbering animal like a dog or a tiger. He grumbles while stretching out the painful kinks in his spine "What are you doing here?" I ask, getting up with a frown. I hate myself. Why do I keep staring at him, its creepy Yuki! I tell myself off as Zoro gives me a disinterested glance "Sleeping…."

My frown deepens into a scowl, any talking here will be a waste of time but before I go, I'll have to let go some of my pride here "I'm sorry" I toss over my shoulder. I did only say some of my pride.

"What for?" he calls out to me. I turn to face him again and make a rolling motion with my hand "You know? The whole thing with Luffy and Nami" and again he just blankly stares at me. Is he trying to understand me or judge me? Or is he wondering how to punish me? I quickly glance at the white sword. There's nothing in his expression...I should get to class…I should just leave but those eyes are holding me in place. He stares at me and I just stand there as if he has a super power of just freezing me.

"Are you free tonight?" I quickly punch my chest as my heart skips a beat or two for no reason.

"Um...just doing homework and s-stuff" I say hesitantly, maybe it's my imagination but his gaze seems to soften….well not look as emotionless. He takes in a deep breath, his chin resting on his chest before looking at me "Get ready to hit a club tonight. I'll pick you up at eleven" he says simply. My left eye twitches, how dare this bastard tell me what to do? "Why the hell should I? Beside I've got school tomorrow and so do you" I tell him, wondering what the hell brought this conversation on.

He sighs "Look, trust me on this one. It'll be easier to explain if you come with me tonight. I swear no harm will come to you" he gives me an determined, unwavering look and I grit my teeth and pull at my hair before making an impulsive decision which I'm surely going to regret "Fine" I mutter. God, if you're really up there, please do your job. I'm begging you. I don't want any more drama.


	11. Chapter 10

Shit, shit, shit. I was fucking late. It was nearly eleven and all I've done is had a shower and used my straighteners to twist my hair into bouncy, glossy curls. I attack my hair with half a can of suffocating holding spray so it doesn't go limp. I still had no idea where I was going and for what reason we were going to a club. More importantly, why was I just going along with Zoro's request? I should say no but there was a part of me that had no inclination to say no. My brain must be steadily malfunctioning day by day since meeting Zoro; it would explain why I was attracted to him, only physically!. I've said this before but there's only so much more drama I can take before I have a mental breakdown. Oh dear. Maybe I should just stay in. Nonetheless, I jump into a dark ruby skirt with black trimmings and throw on a black lace vest top that hung off one shoulder. I place a wide, black bracelet around my right wrist before twirling around in the mirror to make sure the outfit is nice and doesn't look skanky.

I scrunch the coils in my hair, reinforcing them; please curls just stay like this the whole night. Oh, I didn't even know how long we'll be out for. I hope it isn't for too long, I have school tomorrow and my aunt should be at home too. I lean into the mirror about to hastily put on my make up when I nearly jump out of my skin as a booming, heavy knock echoes through the house. I roll my shoulders to release some tension that was building up and taking one more look in the mirror I slowly make my way down the stairs to open the door to a pair of ninjas?

Zoro was completely wrapped in black, his bandana around his head casting shadows over his face and making him appear unapproachable but I didn't fail to notice his glossy black eyes lowering to my exposed shoulder. Right. I should probably change my top if I want to avoid being pounced on, I flick my hair forward casually to cover up some of my visible skin. "Let's go" he tells me brusquely, readjusting the strap over his shoulder. He has a long, cylinder case on his back and I'm curious to know what's in them. I guesstimate it must be his swords since they were not attached to his hip.

"Um" I twirl the end of my hair "I'm not ready just yet but you can come in and wait" He gnashes his teeth together before muttering heatedly under his breath, his cheekbones high with irritation. He can have a tantrum for all I care. I give his companion a fierce scowl. I really didn't like Ace. Zoro was somewhat tolerable but Ace…he was like a fucking gnat. I could see it his eyes, he was looking for some way to ruffle my feathers with venomous words. He too was dressed in black, his chest bare as usual and he wasn't wearing his orange cowboy hat. I do a quick scan of his torso for tell-tale signs of a tattoo but I see nothing, my uncle's just overthinking things I bet. I cross my arms over my chest and coolly lean against the door frame, a bored expression on my face "Why are you here? Why is he here?" turning to both boys and firing questions at them, I wanted an answer and I didn't care who it came from.

"Because I asked him to come" Zoro merely replies while Ace approaches me and towers over me bullyingly "You have a problem with me being here?" he definitely fits the gangster role.

I let out a long breath "No…." Honestly, yes I do.

"Zoro failed to mention you'll be coming is all" I say simply, shooting a dagger at the uninterested Zoro before stepping back inside and gesturing to the both of them to enter my house. I show them the way to my living, doing a sweep of the walls to ensure there was no pictures that would give them a clue about the identity of my guardians.

"Well I'll try not to take too long" and I turn to leave them in the living room when-

"Is it okay for us to be here? Won't your parents mind people like _us_ entering their house?" Zoro asks, his voice filled with concern which I find extremely odd. Why does he care?

"Zoro, look at this house. They're probably rich enough to be on vacation on the time huh?" Ace cackles in spite at his own joke. I know it was a joke. And I know I can't blame Ace because he doesn't know anything. But knowing that doesn't stop my body filling to the brim with rage. Deep breaths Yuki, calm down.

* * *

** "I should probably have told you sooner…..but my parents….they're dead" she whispers so faintly that Zoro has to strain his ears just to hear what she said. His eyes widen as he observes the girl's back that was ramrod straight but he could tell her shoulders were slightly quivering and he gives Ace an almost homicidal look who was stunned into silence by Yuki's words.**

**"Ah-I'm sorry….really I am" Ace apologizes with the utmost sympathy after getting back to his senses but Yuki spins around and Zoro's taken aback by the beaming smile on her face "It's fine. I didn't really know them. My mum died when I born and my dad….well he ran off somewhere so I don't know who the hell he is. But honestly, it's not a tragic as it sounds" she waves her hand dismissively. "I live with my aunt and uncle who are the closest thing to a mum and dad" she declares, trying to assure them both but Zoro didn't miss the flash of sorrow that went through her eyes before she went upstairs.**

* * *

I slam the door behind me a little too hard and rest my back against it, panting slightly. I run both hands through my hair before interlinking my fingers together behind my head, pressing my forearms against my temples. FUCK! Why did I open my mouth? I never wanted them to know anything about me, and I don't want them to feel sorry for me either. What a depressing turn of events. I give my cheeks a few slaps to compose myself, I still need to do my make-up and survive whatever unforeseen ordeal Zoro's going to take me to.

I coat my eyelashes with several layers of blue mascara, making sure each individual strand frames my green eyes perfectly. To make my eyes appear bigger I apply blue eyeliner to just the lower eyelid before moving on to apply a little red lipstick on, liking how the vibrant colour contrasts with my light skin. It may seem much but I did not want to look dressed down compared to Zoro and Ace who I have to admit looked pretty dashing in black. Especially Zoro, I mean all that tight black on his body…mmmm…..

I smash my head into my mirror. Hard. I'm doing it again, salivating over the guy. My treacherous mind kept constantly fabricating images of Zoro with all that ropey dark muscle and piercing deep, soul seeing eyes. I bash my head in the mirror again, even harder than before. Okay, I admitted he's good looking and I like his physique but his personality is another story, he was such a selfish jerk who doesn't care much for me. Not that I care for him either.

_Is that really true? _ My brain betrays me and conjures up Zoro's killer smile and I can't help but think that his smile seems to light up the darkest corners of his personality. I grab my fringe in frustration, Jesus! I need to get a grip of myself. Right, let's roll out Yuki! I put my boots on and grab a small black cardigan to conceal my bare arms and head back downstairs but I stop on the stairs when I hear raised voices from the living room.

"This won't work! The bouncer knows what everyone is thinking, he'll know for sure she's from Enies Lobby and won't let her in!" That's Ace voice.

"It'll be fine" Zoro answers back calmly. I've just realised that Zoro isn't a man for many words.

They hush immediately when I peer into the living room "Shall we go ladies?" I say with a coy smile. Zoro lets out a chuckle while a sulky Ace mumbles "Weren't we waiting for you?" he steps out of my house while I put the alarm on.

"Shut up" I tell, closing the door to the house behind me and making sure it's locked. I turn around and I see Zoro and Ace standing by two massive black machines. I bring a finger up and give a faltering point at the glossy black motor beasts and ask "What the hell is that?" Zoro grins over his shoulder which causes my heart to practically leap in joy and resist the urge to dive into the waterway next to me to cool down my head.

"You've never seen one before?" Zoro twirls a set of keys into his fingers. Obviously I've never seen one before; this city was built to use water as its main transportation. People got around by boats or Bulls which were sea creatures who were capable of climbing up water channels or walking. He knows the answer when I keep silent "It's a motorbike"

"Hmm" I've heard of a motorbike before but I had always pictured it as a simple bicycle with some sort of motor engine. Not this sleek, complex machine. Anyway, how do they think they can drive this around on the narrow streets with water canals everywhere? I don't fancy dying on some speedy, killing machine.

I look between the two of them before giving the bikes a deadpan stare "No" I say with all seriousness. Ace and Zoro simultaneously splutter incoherently, Zoro speaks first "No? What do you mean by no?" it was an almost beast like snarl. I give Zoro a stern look "You want me to spell it out? When I say no, I mean I'm not driving in that killing machine"

Ace gets on his own bike "Kid, you want to be seen driving around in this" he tells me, trying to persuade me to get on the bike. Yeah, as if I would.

"I don't care" I say bluntly, crossing my arms stubbornly.

Zoro brings a thumb and forefinger to his temples, taking in a deep breath "How do you suggest we get there then?" But I don't even know where we're going but I have a strong inkling we're heading for Upper Yard.

"You guys go ahead. I'll follow on foot" I say this with withering sarcasm "Ahh!" I exclaim when something is suddenly tossed at me but with some inhuman reflex I manage to grab it before it whacks me in the face. I stumble back a couple of times in shock before realising the object in my hand is a pitch-black helmet "Just get on kid, we're wasting time here" Zoro tells me and I give him a fierce glare, silently scolding him with my eyes for throwing things that could kill me. But, for some reason I was able to catch it, how? Was it another evolved skill?

I let out a few whiny mutters before reluctantly approaching the bike which wasn't occupied by anyone and my eyes flicker rapidly at the multi bond fabric of charcoal. How do I get on when I'm wearing a skirt? Damn, I knew I should have worn tights! "This is stable right?" I ask, slitting my eyes to Zoro and Ace who I totally knew were watching me very closely, waiting for the moment I fall off the motorbike.

"Yeah, just hop on" Zoro tries to act nonchalant but he was no good at hiding the hint of laughter in his words while Ace sniggers within his helmet. Pricks! I quickly plop the helmet to cover my face and place my hands atop of the seat, pushing my palms into it and hoist myself up and twist just in time place my bum on the seat. Well, I'm on the bike. I quickly swing one leg over, double checking to make sure my skirt wasn't revealing all to the world and I was properly seated, yay!

Zoro straddles the bike, sitting in front of me and I'm immediately aware of the cutesy, almost couple like position we were in. I let out a mumbled swear word when the skin on my cheeks flush a little, this is so humiliating.

"D'awww don't you guys look cute" Ace mocks us both.

"Oi, I'll kill you bastard" Zoro speaks, growling at Ace like an incited tiger and I follow up with a vehemently rude hand gesture.

"Ahahaha, you guys are like two peas in a pod. See you both at the finish line" and with a loud rev he zooms off, doing a wheelie and leaping over the canal. Shit, they're going to race aren't they? I could feel the competitive testerone rising in Zoro."Please don't do that" I tell Zoro who places his own helmet on his head "Not promising anything kid" you would think he would call me by my name already?

"You should hold on" he tells and I frown within my helmet in confusion "On to what exactly?"

"Me" and I could hear the pure cockiness in his voice which causes me to swear under my breath, growling in my throat. I lightly place my hands either side of his waist, this is so embarrassing. He turns the engine on and my body violently trembles in time with the machine's vibrations. Fuck that's loud.

"You best keep it slow right? I'll kill you if you go too fast" I try to sound deathly but it falls on deaf ears and Zoro speeds forward with no warning. I lurch forward at the sudden haste, my chest flushing against his large back and my arms clutching tightly around Zoro's taut stomach as I hang on for dear life. I shut my eyes tight, ignoring the wind whistling past us, the rapid heave when we soar over waterways and the screeching of the wheels as we drift around corners. We finally slow down, thank god! I feel a great relief go through me and I pull apart my eyes and take a look at my surroundings and see we've pulled into a parking lot.

I'm never getting on this thing again, that was bloody traumatic!

_But you liked being intricately close to Zoro though._

Shut up brain!

When the engine switches off, I waste no time jumping off the blasted machine though it takes me a few moments to take my next step as my legs feel so weak, I could crumple to the floor any second. "You were scared weren't you?" A sly voice flutters over to asshole.

"I was not! Retard" I take my helmet off and my hair spring down, resting over my shoulders, glad to be released from their confines. I was a teeny, weeny bit scared for my life but that's understandable since it was my first time on a motorbike but I wasn't going to admit that to Zoro. I hear a rumble of laughter "You were hugging me so hard you could have broken a couple of my ribs" I toss the helmet, aiming for his smug face but he catches it with ease "I was holding on to you so I wouldn't fall off" and his smirk extends and I'm thankful for Ace coming along at this point.

"Where are we?" trying to change the subject and looking up at the neighbouring buildings that cast an eerie shadow over us, walls everywhere plastered in multi-coloured graffiti, definitely Upper Yard. Zoro retrieves his case from Ace who was carrying it on his back "We're going to a club, it's not far from here" My adrenaline was at an all-time high now and I couldn't tell if it was from the reckless driving or the fact I'm in some dangerous, most likely illegal place. I hear the warnings in my head telling me to go back home but I follow Zoro and Ace in curiosity of what kind of people they were and what they were up to. It wasn't too long when we were bypassing a long line of people that stretched around the side of a reasonably nice warehouse like building. We walked right up to the double doors "Hey, aren't we pushing in" I whisper to Zoro's side, taking in the stares and conversations that had excitably started while we were walking past.

"You worry too much" Ace slaps a hand on my back, pushing me forward so I stagger to a stop in front of a black suited muscular, chocolate-skinned man. I clear my throat and straighten myself up as I stare at the man with my mouth slightly ajar. The left side of his face was covered in dark, elaborate tribal tattoos and he had long dark hair that was arranged into a Mohawk on his scalp before flowing down to his waist in segmented braids. He was smoking on a cigarillo, staring at me really hard before turning to look at Zoro and Ace who were bickering behind me. The foreigner makes a decision and silently gestures that I can go in with a simple nod and I walk ahead, reaching for a cigarette. I look over my shoulder, giving the bouncer a final look and I wonder what country he's from since he's awfully exotic.

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**Meanwhile Zoro and Ace were harshly whispering to each other "Zoro, I am telling you this isn't going to work. Wiper is going to suss out she's not from around here"**

**"Come on, would it really be that bad if people knew who she was?" he was getting irritated by Ace's nagging. **

**"Yes, real bad. She would make the perfect hostage for ransom money, you know what this place is like"**

**A voice interrupted their discussion "Guys, your girl went in by the way" It was Wiper. He blew out a puff of grey smoke before looking over his shoulder "She's a pretty little princess so I suggest you go in and find her before she's stolen away" the corners of his lips transformed into an all-knowing smirk around his cigarillo. Zoro gave him a nod of thanks and rushed forward to enter through the doors to a corridor which led to the actual club. Zoro's eyes darted around looking for his supplier and then he found her, leaning against a wall with a lit up cigarette drooping from her mouth. **

**Zoro's heart fluctuated when he made out her features that were illuminated by the cigarette that dangled with style from her cherry lips that contrasted beautifully against her snow white skin. Her mysterious shade of emerald and swirling gold eyes lifted from the floor and his breath was taken away when those glimmering eyes gazed at him. Pitch black strands of ringlets framing her face and Zoro wanted to say she looked fragile like a china doll but she was imposing this causal, unruffled demeanour and he…Zoro shook himself from his thoughts and adjusted his sword case. It was the contract. There was no way he would ever think the girl looked….absolutely ravishing…it was just her blood that he liked.  
**

**She took one more pull of smoke into her lungs, exhaling grey smoke which twirled around her before disappearing "Here I was thinking the two of you didn't get in" she was supporting a devious smirk which made the girl look quite sexy-**

**He let out a snort, tucking a thumb underneath the strap of his case that held his beloved swords "Whatever, just stick close to me now" and his supplier just shrugged her shoulders and grinded her finished cigarette beneath her boot. He made a mental note to see Chopper about his heart, it kept reacting oddly whenever his supplier was around and it was worrying. Maybe check his brain while he was at too.**

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**All done! **

**Thank you all for reading :D next chap will be up asap! **


	12. Chapter 11

I'm blinded by flashing neon lights the moment I enter the club, the blast of music attacking my ears. It sure as hell was lively in here, the pulsing dance floor moved in time with the pounding dubstep that filtered through massive speakers in the walls, the air heavy with the stench of alcohol. People were mostly dressed up in clubbing attire, laughing and drinking casually while some looked completely stoned on couches or they were just smashed from drinking too much.

Zoro scans the room before making his way through the dance floor, pushing through the tangled mesh of people with Ace close behind me. It was humid and I could not comprehend how people could dance in these warm conditions, I could imagine my make up just sweating off. We stop once we reach the back of the club where several beefy bouncers stood before a black door. I gulp as I notice them staring at me with blood-thirsty looks, warning me to stay away and I shuffle closer to Zoro. I'm shocked when one of the bouncers open the door just as Zoro approaches "I'll be rooting for ya in the next one" My eyebrows raise a fraction higher as I'm curious about what the bouncers mean. Even Ace gets yelled something to which he replies "No, I'm not on today"

What is going on? I could ask Zoro and Ace but I have a feeling my questions will get answered once I go through the door.

The door leads to a staircase that spirals down to wide open basement which had a completely different atmosphere to the club above. There was a bar in the far corner of the room and mellow music was playing from speakers in the walls, the smell of cigarettes and liquor permeating the air through spiralling wisps of smoke and odour. I couldn't put my finger on it but there was another familiar but slightly bitter smell in the air but before I could think over this, my eyes are drawn to the empty massive steel cage with people mingling around it and in the ceiling encircling above the cage was a gallery where people were stood, awaiting for something to happen in the cage below.

It reminded me of something you would expect to see in underground fighting...

"Isn't this fucking dangerous!" I grab Zoro's large wrist and the moment my skin touched his there was this electrical buzz that ran through my arm, reaching all way to my chest and stabbing its way to my heart. I shot my hand back, letting go of him as he turns around, rolling his eyes "So you figured it out" he sounds surprised.

"You're brighter than you look kid aha!" I flip the bird to Ace over my shoulder, hoping my face was not fire-engine red because it sure feels like it was but maybe the dim lights in this room were covering my face in shadows. That would be soooo helpful.

"I understand you probably don't like this but nothing will happen to you here" He sounds so sincere and I find myself trusting his words. "Plus if I win then I'll get 500,000 belly" I whistle in awe. Wait, I shouldn't be supporting this! This is illegal and it's against everything my uncle and aunt work for "If you want, I can give you 10%" Eh?

"Why?" titling my head and blinking at him in confusion.

"Because…..I'll probably need to drink from….you" he tells me, averting his eyes. Ah, I see.

"No, if you want my blood then you can just ask. We're supplier and contractor so it's a given, you don't need to pay me off or anything" I'm getting wise; the fight's going to take its toll on Zoro and just in case anything happened...he'll be okay since I'll be here to fix him up. Ugh, that's means more blood draining. He gives me a long stare, meeting my eyes and conveying unreadable emotions which leaves me even more puzzled but he turns around before I could say anything. Ace walks around me and so I bring up the rear, letting what I just realised sink in.

Underground fighting. The raw brutal, no holds barred combat. My uncle has dealt with cases where fighters have died in this sort of shit. Man, Zoro better not kill anyone! I can bat an eye to this but murder? I'm spilling that shit to my uncle. "Wah" I wasn't paying attention but Ace did abruptly stop walking so it's not my fault I ended up bumping into Ace's broad back where I feel that his back is sticky. At first I think it's sweat but then I know this familiar sticky texture and I realise he has make up matte on his back. Why? Was he covering some gnarly scar on his back?

"You guys head to the gallery" Zoro's voice cuts in to stop Ace from twisting around to yell at me for crashing into him.

Ace grabs his shoulder as Zoro goes to leave "You ain't going to drink now?" glancing at me while I just watch them converse. I predicted this much too. He would never drink before a fight...he would want it after, so he can replenish his heath and stamina. Zoro looks at me for a couple of minutes and I nod, indicating for him to go and get ready for his fight "I'll drink after" and he disappears from our sight.

I am now alone with Ace. Well that's just great. We both eye each other with disdain before Ace eventually ends our staring match with a heavy sigh mind you. I trail after him as he goes up a winding set of stairs which lead to the gallery. It was a metal balcony that allowed people to look down at the cage below and I see people were pressed against the railings, eagerly waiting for fighters to enter the cage and tear each other apart.

"Alright, you stay here" Ace tells me and before I could even comprehend what he said to me, he was already gone.

"Nothing will happen to me huh?" I take in a deep breath and choosing a vacant spot I place my arms on the banister, trying not to draw attention to myself. I can't believe both Zoro and Ace just left me in a dangerous place. Actually, I'm pretty shocked they were involved in underground fighting but I have a feeling that their story doesn't stop here. There's something else. Something bigger.

My eyes travel over the floor of the cage, there was no mistaking the pale pink stains that were splashed all over the ground. Blood, that's what I smelt earlier...damn. I hope Zoro will be okay. I perk up as I feel someone watching me, and it wasn't friendly. I'm glad I brought my mace and pocket knife with me; this was the kind of place where it would come in handy. I look below at the slow-building crowd and I see a flash of cherry red and as I go to get a proper look at the person's face, a hand slaps on my shoulder. I twist violently, my back digging into the metal railing, my hand reaching for my mace as I expect the worst but a grin manifests on my face when I see who it is.

"Usopp! Long time no see!" I bump fists with a dark skinned boy who was my age, with thick, curly black hair and a very long nose. "What are you doing here? This is completely out of your league" I wave my hand in the air, indicating to the cage below and I'm aware of prickling stares in my direction but in such a jam-packed area there was no telling who was casting them.

"Yuki, I told you I'm powerful!" This stupid liar trying to make himself look cool. "Whatever you say Pinocchio" I say with a blatant roll of my eyes.

"Oi!" he slaps my forehead lightly "Geez, you're here to watch Zoro's fight?" he leans over the rails just as I have.

"Yeah" I rub my forehead with a pout, remembering Perona's words, so Usopp really does know Zoro. Actually he probably knows everything, "Um, no hard feelings right?" I rub the back of my neck sheepishly.

He blinks before realising what I was talking about "I'm not mad about that, you did what any of us would have done for a friend" rubbing a finger under his nose. The atmosphere suddenly changes, the air turning thicker as more bodies filled the viewing balcony and surrounded the cage as all focus was on the empty stage below us, the two of us also look at the arena.

"It's starting" Usopp declares with a grin and that's when a familiar man enters the dome, loud thumping music beating in the background and I wince and cover my ears when the crowd suddenly erupt in roars: the noise is insane for such a small place and it was kicking my adrenalin into first gear.

"Hey, is Zoro a popular fighter or something?" I whisper into Usopp's ear who murmurs back "Of course, you didn't know?" his eyebrows meeting in the middle.

I'm about to answer but the words stop in my throat as I watch Zoro, my heart refusing to beat. Zoro had all three of his swords unsheathed. One in his left, another his right but you would not believe where the third one was. Even I couldn't believe what I was witnessing. I close my eyes and rub at them to make sure I wasn't seeing things but when I open my eyes. Yep. There's no mistaking that there is a white sword wedged between his teeth so the blade jutted out to the side.

"Seriously, he's kidding right?"

I spoke without removing my eyes from Zoro; he had taken his black top off and was wearing a green Haramaki around his waist. His golden tan, scarred skin shimmered with sweat under the room's glaring lights and I could feel the radiation of raw power from my contractor all the way from up here, I feel sorry for his opponent as he would be up against a demonic beast.

"You enjoying the show?" a sneaky voice startles me out of my gaping and someone stands beside me. I look to Ace who was about to say something else and my left eye begins twitching in annoyance.

"Yes! So shut up and let me watch!" I tell him harshly before locking on to Zoro with my eyes. I didn't want to miss this indomitable, determined warrior who was also frustrating, unreadable and scary, fight in this cage. He looked so bad-ass and I was jealous of the people who were so close to the metal cage, I can't imagine the ferocity of Zoro's presence up close. I lean over the railing slightly to get a closer look and with squinting I could tell he really did have a lot of scars. There was fresh scar on his chest which was from his latest gunshot injury. How did he survive without me?

_He's a stubborn motherfucker, and you know that's pretty admirable  
_

Ugh, go away. I tap my head hard before covering my ears again when another chorus of screams go off but not as thunderous as Zoro's. Someone else has entered the arena. A tall, bald guy with dark skin who was even burlier than Zoro with an archaic black tattoo of a number one on his torso, damn he seems like a powerful opponent, will Zoro be seriously okay? The newest guy raised his arms and the outside of his skin transformed into sharp steel blades. For real! That's an awesome devil gene power.

However my new found likeness for the guy disappears when he suddenly strikes out at Zoro and I was surprised at myself for joining in with the loud "Booo" that went around the crowd "That stupid bald dick!" I think I was about to leap over the railing or close to anyway but Usopp places a hand on my shoulder "Mah, mah. Anything goes in there" he tells me, anger clearly evident in his voice and I feel a scalding aura come from my left side. Protective much boys?

Yeah, like I could talk.

Zoro straightens up from the attack; crimson blood trickling from the side of his mouth which I'm astonished to say had curled up into a devilish smirk. He was smiling?

I could practically feel the intense, fiery glare Daz was giving to Zoro and he wasted no time flying forward with a dangerous gleam in his eyes and with all his strength he shoved Zoro across the arena and into the chain link. I could hear the ring of two blades coming together, sparks flying as their respective blades clash together. They spring away from each other before locking blades together at lightning speed, but I'm able to keep up with their rapid movements until Zoro blocks Daz's attack with the sword in his right hand and at the same time holding the man back with the white sword in his jaw. A standstill.

I still found it surreal he was fighting with a sword in his mouth, I've witnessed quite a few fights and even had my fair share but never in my life have I seen such a fight like this before and I couldn't supress the delightful shiver that ran down my spine, my body twitching with excitement. I tightly grip the railing, tilting over to watch the fight more closely; I really didn't want to miss a thing. The fighters' blades were still intertwined together so neither of them could move which gave Daz the opportunity to deliver a swift kick to Zoro's stomach. Zoro stumbled back, his body curling slightly in pain and I begin grinding my teeth as Daz began acting all superior. What's he so proud about, the bastard just got lucky!

Kick his ass Zoro!

But Zoro just stood up, and began talking to Daz. Hey, where's the unleashing wave of attacks that he should be inflicting on his enemy!? But I close my thoughts when I recognise that look on Zoro's face; he's given me that look before. He's taunting Daz! Well, what do you know? He's cleverer than he looks. The taunt works because Daz rushes forward with his arms transformed into sharp blades and Zoro blocks it with ease with just one perfectly timed swing. The battle changes into a dangerous dance of metal, their blades bouncing off each other in a rapid flurry of movement between the two.

I gasp as blood splatters the ground, dripping from a deep slash on Zoro's arm while Daz's arm was tainted red as he delivered the slice. Did I blink or something? They were both holding their own so when and how did he slip through Zoro's defences? I watch Zoro carefully as he clutched his bicep; he looks like he's in pain but….he also…looked sort of furious. I glower at Daz once more before I notice that the rage encircling Zoro was not at Daz but rather at himself. Why though?

I watch Zoro with a frown as he takes up a firm stance, resting both swords at his sides gently. The sounds around me vanish into nothing and it's almost like it's only me, Zoro and Daz in the room. I could hear Zoro take a deep breath, and with a snap of his eyes he charged, doubling his speed and I watch in shock awe as he bent and twisted, flipping his blades to present the blunt side to his unprepared opponent. A heavy thud lands across Daz's chest, sending the large man sailing into the air before falling into a heap on the floor.

Did he win? The whole arena went silent for a few seconds and then it boomed into life as the audience began slapping their hands together, using their vocal cords to scream loudly as possible and stamping their feet. I don't blame them for their excitement, it was a spectacular fight. I felt a fierce exhilaration when Zoro's fire fuelled eye locked onto mine and I try to act calm and give him a causal thumbs up. He returns it with a cute, bad boy smirk which causes my heart to beat so fast it hurts within my chest. I look away from Zoro when Ace speaks to me "Can't believe someone like you enjoyed that"

I cleared my throat in an attempt to hide the excitement that was rushing through my veins "It was interesting...I've never seen something like that before" It was difficult to act indifferent since a smile was creeping on my face but thankfully an orange bob floating past captured my attention.

Nami! I walk between Ace and Usopp, ignoring their yells at my back and follow after Nami where she disappears through a door. It's a long corridor which leads to the toilets. Damn, this place is a lot bigger than it looks but there was not many people here, just one or two loitering around. I see Nami briskly walking off; does she know I'm behind her?

"Nami! Wait!" She stops but she doesn't turn around and I walk closer to her, treading carefully in case she attacks me out of nowhere. She did have that pole weapon when I last saw her.

"Hey...look, just listen. I know you probably won't forgive me but I am sorry" I tell her firmly to her back. I have no idea if she's listening or not "Those words probably won't make you feel better so you can hit me if you want" and at those words she spins around, marching towards me with her hair covering her eyes in shadows and I close my eyes and wait for the blow.

"Ouch!" I exclaim as she grabs my right cheek, giving it a hard pinch "Man, I can't believe a underclassman got one over me" she pulls my cheek before letting me go. I rub my sore cheek in a daze; this laid-back reaction was not what I expected, especially when she smiles at me before sticking her tongue out cheekily at me. Maybe….maybe she wasn't a bitch as I thought she was. Though she still wore very revealing clothes, today she wore a black leather skirt and a black lace top that was very see through.

Her eyes of cold, unpolished copper steel look at me; wandering up and down my body "So you're Zoro's supplier huh" she places one hand on her hip. Meanwhile, her other hand rests atop of her accentuated, plump breast while her eyes stop at my chest and she lets out a scoff which was accompanied by an unimpressed look on her face. I retract my statement that she wasn't a bitch. She was a total bitch! Was she trying to tick me off or something!?

"I feel sorry for Zoro" I stop clenching my teeth and my visible shaking of anger to frown at her statement "He's loyal, strong and kind and he's stuck with a pretentious bitch like you" She moves closer to me and in a low voice tells me "How can some rich kid like you protect him when you can barely protect yourself?" my chest gets uncomfortably tight and I throw her a quick glare. "Oi! Is there something between the two of you I should know? Because trust me, I won't get in your way if you think I'm a problem" I tell her sternly, stepping out of her personal space.

Her lips twist into a bitchy smile and her eyes glint cunningly "Luffy's my contractor" I fucking knew he was! Why am I always right?! "But...I do like Zoro. A lot. So if you insist, I wouldn't mind taking him" She turns around "See ya around kiddo" she waves her hand over her shoulder leaving me to ponder about what the hell just occurred here right now.

So, Luffy and Nami have a contract but Nami likes Zoro? I mean why accept my apology to only exacerbate things. What a bitch! I can't believe she openly staked her claim on Zoro too! I hate girls like her. I hope her perfect boobs get all saggy and ugly and weigh her down! Argh she's pissing me off! I resist the urge to punch something and breathe into my hands, calming myself down. I shouldn't get annoyed by such a shallow girl….

Zoro! The name appears suddenly in my head. Shit! He got injured! I should probably find him and...erugh...make sure he drinks my blood. I head back the way I came, concentrating on the ever-beating pulse in my head which acts like sonar to find Zoro. I make my way downstairs again and I see another fight has started in the ring; someone had summoned a spherical light blue aura within the cage. Must be some sort of contractor power? I move away from the cage and find myself going pass the bar where there was a silver door. I turn around to make sure he wasn't anywhere else nearby and that's when I notice on the wall in the far distance I was facing there was a massive graffiti of a grinning smiley that's been crossed out. Dark clouds cover me in shadows as I go into shock, goose bumps appearing on my skin as chains of the past begin disintegrating.

"No way…Joke-"

"What are you doing here girlie?" I spin around, only to face the same bouncer from the entrance of the club "Um...I-I" Shit I was shaking! "I'm Zoro's supplier and I'm looking for him" I swallow loudly as he observes me but I let out a sigh of relief when he opens the silver door and I bow my thanks to him and enter. I glance over my shoulder to look at the smiley on the wall before the door closes behind me, shrouding me in darkness.

"Why the hell is that here?" I mumble to myself, keeping a secure chain on past memories.

* * *

I'm sorry I made Nami a bitch but I think she makes the perfect Mean Girl aha.


	13. Chapter 12

**Thanks for all the support guys! Everytime I see a follow, review or fav I just want to write more! :D you guys are AWESOME! **

**Feel free to post ideas of what you want to see happen...I might just consider it if it goes with the plan I have already I have in mind :)  
**

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I pinch the bridge of my nose, breathing heavily; I can't believe that _guy_ owns this place! Well it shouldn't be a surprise since that pink fucker sinks his teeth into every illegal establishment he can so it's no wonder this place is his. Oh. Let me explain. That mark I just saw is the signature of another criminal leader who's fighting for control of Upper Yard, just like Whitebeard but he makes Whitebeard look like a fucking angel!

It's no problem as long as I don't meet the pink fucker….why? Well that's a long story that begins-

"I was just going to go and look for you" A voice erupts from the gloomy room, of course I was not expecting it so my heart, is again pumping furiously in fear. Sorry heart. I pat my chest as if telling my heart everything is going to be okay and peek into the shadows and I find myself in a poorly lit locker room. In the darkest corner of the room was Zoro, looking at his bruised, bleeding face in the mirror.

"No need" I simply say, rolling my shoulders and I sit myself down on a wooden bench that was situated just before a wall of lockers. I look to my right and see Zoro's black case wide open, revealing all three of his swords, I've never seen them up close before but in the dim light I could tell that they were captivatingly beautiful. I look back at Zoro when the tap runs and he washes his face and I glance back at the swords. I chew on my bottom teeth and unconsciously...

No, I purposely reach out for the red sheath with accents of gold, and a black hilt-

"I wouldn't do that if I was you" Zoro was giving me a disapproving look in the reflection of the mirror "He doesn't like it when someone stupid touches him" he finishes the sentence with a sly smile.

"Him?" I ask with a sceptical voice. I've read that swordsmen can hear and talk to the soul of their blade but…..I couldn't accept it. Sure the world seems to be edging onto the unknown and supernatural, me and Zoro were living proof of that but ….ghosts and souls, way too paranormal to actually be real.

Wait…..did he just insult me?

"If you want to keep your arm, I suggest you don't go touching my swords" there's no real bite in his words, so I guess I'll forgive him. Just this time. I bring my hand back, placing them on my thighs and I wait for Zoro to finish drying his face in towel, apprehensive about what was surely going to happen next. I bring a hand to my neck, feeling my pulse beating just beneath my skin. Damn contract…..damn Zoro. I go to shoot an icy glare at Zoro when I see dark, shallow scars on his broad shoulder blades. Jesus….how many fricking scars does this guy have?

I look at him, trying to look pass the scars, the muscles, his sun bronzed skin and a question enters my mind.

"Who are you?" I curse my stupid mouth for acting too brash but...I would be lying if I said I didn't want to know anything about this man. He was so complex. His eyes move to settle over me and I wince at the cold stare I was receiving, he was mad but I swallow and find my resolve "Like...I mean, you have all those scars and you got shot the other day...you're obviously involved in something dangerous"

My voice wavers when he begins stalking towards me, his muscles flexing with every step he took but I regain the use of my tongue and keep talking "And this whole underground fighting business isn't something I can ignore you know...not to mention for your age you're an exceptional swordsman" I didn't realise how close Zoro was to me until I jumped an inch off the bench at the sound of a metal thud when he slams his palm above me, leaning against the lockers behind me. I was cornered between a wall and his gorgeous golden body which was just touching distance away from me. Damn it.

I have my final say before he beats me to death "A-Are you a g-gangster or something?" I whisper out, looking up into Zoro's unyielding dark gaze.

"Do I look a gangster?" my breath hitches at how deep and sexy his voice is and I tell myself to keep breathing.

"Well, yeah" I manage to spit out with some composure, praying that Zoro doesn't realise that my cheeks weren't so pale anymore. After what seems like a hour, he stands up straight and steps back a bit and I immediately relax since I didn't feel so claustrophobic, and tempted anymore "A lot of things just happened and when you can't find a way out, you're forced to do things to get out" he speaks solemnly and stares at the floor.

That was unexpected. I didn't think he'll tell me anything….well he didn't actually tell me much but it was something. I get he's whatever he is because he has to, not because he wants to. I too look at the ground, unsure what to say at this point when I see a gentle pooling of blood near Zoro.

"Shit! Your arm" I get up and approach Zoro in two steps. I take off my cardigan and wrap it around his bleeding arm. I remember Zoro's reaction when he got slashed "Why were you angry at yourself?" I look up, my eyes widening at how close we were, again.

_He smells nice though._

…Shit. Brain, stop thinking!

"I should have been paying attention…I felt dishonourable as a swordsman for letting my guard down" He clenches his fist and there it is again, that dark look of anger at himself.

Hold on a minute "But I thought for a swordsman the biggest dishonour is to have a slash on your back" he blinks, looking at me in surprise with those onyx eyes and I could not hold back the thought that his eyes were gorgeous.

_You feel it too...you like him more than you want to admit _I snap my eyes away from Zoro...I need to stop my thoughts running like this.

"You're actually quite observant...and you don't seem like that type" He muses, leaning forwards. What the hell does mean by that? Is he calling me an idiot? When I remove myself from my own thoughts, I see Zoro's face is exceptionally close, not to mention extremely handsome.

I fluster and instinctively lean backwards to get away from the sudden closeness and a moment later the back of my knees hit the edge of the bench and I buckle, losing balance and I collapse over the bench and onto the ground "Ah!" I shout out in my fall. _BANG! _My skull collides with the metal locker wall and pain instantly reverberates through my head.

"Ow, ow, ow" I wince; crouching over with my hands to my head as it pounded in pain, tears forming in my eyes. A painful throb informs me a bump was forming.

"Shit! You okay!?" I look up and in my blurry vision I make out a green blob creeping towards me on all fours.

"I'm seeing a talking marimo, does that count as okay**?"** I whine, I hear a chuckle at my words.

"I've never met anyone as clumsy as you" he says lightly. He must be talking about the other time when I walked straight into the wall instead of the door like a normal human being.

"I'm not normally like this man" I close my eyes, taking slow breaths, waiting for the ringing and the pain to subside when I feel a large hand stroking my neck, setting free the butterflies in my stomach. Keep calm you annoying flapping things. I feel my body being pushed down and a very warm, heavy body on top of mine and I open my eyes to find Zoro's hovering over me.

"I'm hungry….can I drink...please?" His eyes were scorching into mine, his tone was guttural and it seared its way through my head, making the pain go away while I felt heat rise up my neck and cheeks. I swallow thickly.

"…eh…." My voice wouldn't come out. This close proximity to Zoro was like torture, there was a supernova in my chest, expanding and brightening as a catastrophic explosion wrecked through my body, setting all of my nerves aflame. He hasn't even touched my blood yet. I squeeze my eyes shut, why? Why was my entire body responding to him such a way? My thoughts go haywire around him, every time I learn something new about him; I just want to know more. More disturbingly, I wanted to touch him…a small part of me even wanted him to drink from me.

Something was seriously wrong with me. I hated the me right now.

"Hmmm?" he settles his body along mine, rubbing his nose against my neck and I nearly let out a delightful gasp. Thank god for fingers. I bite into the joint of my index finger as I curse erogenous zones. I want them extinct!

"It's fine…." I eventually mumble. Ever seen the wings of a hummingbird when they fly? My heart was fluttering just like those wings, it was painful and causing my blood to thicken with desire. It didn't help when moist lips were suckling down to the hollow of my throat, pressing open into my skin and sucking along it. I intake a breath of air when his teeth gently sink into my skin, stupid marimo and his teasing! Hold on….teasing? He's supposed to be drinking my blood! "H-hey….hurry up and drink!" I growl into his ear.

"Kid, you're making a lot of weird sounds right now" his voice thick and husky, he ignores my vehement outburst of "No I'm not!" and proceeds to nip behind my ear, making stimulating sparks shoot through my stomach.

"They're sounds of pain" I manage to speak properly through the slices of pleasure.

"Ooohh really?" His lips vibrate against my pulse and when his teeth tore through my flesh, replacing desire with pain I grip his shoulders. I tightly shut my eyes as I hear my blood go down his throat. I wriggle when I'm overcome by waves of tingling goodness and he wraps his arms around me, pulling himself into me and bites deeper and I feel my body burning up from the sinful fire that was flickering in my abdominal regions. I concentrate on clamping my mouth shut, I was not enjoying this!

Well I was but I shouldn't be enjoying this! I feel a cold bite of air on my stomach, fingers gliding, twirling, and twisting slowly up my stomach. Then it all slowed down, I felt the heat surge through my body and I could hear the throbbing of my own blood, like there was a waterfall in my ears. It's over...I keep a lock on my eyes as I try to calm down this raging body of mine.

* * *

**Zoro licked slowly at her neck, watching the wounds he inflicted heal by themselves, it was magical to watch. He sat up on his supplier's hips, holding his own weight and took a few moments to compose himself, he felt extremely full….and turned on. Though that feeling of being turned on wasn't new, he always did after drinking the delectable blood of his supplier. But he could quickly will the feeling away and it certainly took much longer for his supplier to make the pleasurable feelings go away. He licked the remnants of her blood from his lips, savouring the sweet and spicy taste, looking down at the girl who was breathing hard, a dark red blush adorning her cheeks that matched her red bra that was sexily**** half hidden by her black top****. He blinked rapidly, his cheeks warming as he stared at his quivering supplier, he must have pushed her top up. He looked away but his eyes were travelling over her exposed creamy white, slim stomach and chest. It was such an alluring view. Totally erotic. He felt a throb in his lower regions when he looked down at the girl and saw that she was slender, like some sort of elf what with her smooth, flawless white skin. He frowned when the sudden sound of her heart thudding wildly made its way to his head, matching the tempo of his own perfectly. **

**"You seem to enjoy this kid" he reached over and pulled down her top so it covered her enticing skin and he almost laughed at how fast the girl reacted, tearing her arm off her face and glaring at him, fire blazing in her large vibrant green eyes despite carrying a blush. Not to mention he could hear the rate at which her heartbeat changed pace and he found it enchanting. **

**He previously said he'll keep his distance but she was an interesting little person with a lot of fire, stubborn like him yet she seems to understand him. He didn't know how she could since they still barely knew each other. He stood up and held a hand out to girl on the floor, he wasn't blind. He knew how much of a toll it was on his supplier when he drank from her, in an instant she looked worn out, dark circles under her eyes and she would be in a right mood. **

**"I don't enjoy it" she replied simply, averting her eyes from his and getting up on her own, gripping the lockers as she got up. **

**"Yeah, pretty stubborn" he told himself and he gave the girl her space and removed the drenched cardigan from his arm and saw there was no open wound…..and no scar. But he wasn't happy about that….every single scar was a medal of victory. Proof he made it out alive.  
**

* * *

"Wow…." His arm was covered in blood but there was no wound.

"That's what I always say" Zoro looks at me with a ghost of a smile "Your blood is pretty powerful, and we still have a long way to go" but he stares at his arm, feeling the fresh new skin. I may be reading this wrong but I have a gut feeling that Zoro's not too happy about his arm being healed...  
I'm about to ask him what's wrong but he speaks up.

"Kid, stay right here. I need to get my money and talk to a few people. Don't wander off" he warns me. I snort, and sit back down on the bench "whatever"

"And don't touch my swords" he tells me sternly.

"I won't" I mumble, laying myself out on the bench. I just want to kill this contract...it was messing with my body, my heart and feelings...I don't even know who I am anymore. Jesus, I'm all tuckered out...I wait for Zoro to return. I could not wait to get into my warm bed.

The minutes tick by while I wait for Zoro….he's taking his sweet time. It's been thirty minutes and my body was rested but Zoro still hasn't come. I hope nothing's happened. Maybe that Daz guy wanted a rematch. I get up, fretting that something happened to Zoro. I leave the locker room, using my Zoro radar to find the bastard and I check the time and see its 2am! It's so late! Yet, it's more lively and busy now than before. I push through the many people, and I wander to a couch area that was sheltered in dim red lights, it had a different atmosphere than the rest of the place. Like a sleazy red light district vibe. I'm not wrong…I walk past a couple who were completely lip locked, hands wandering to intimate places. I click my tongue in utter revulsion, how could they do such things in public?

The beating in my head gets louder and there before me is a black couch with Zoro on it. My fingers curl into my palms and I clench my teeth together. There is some girl on his lap. She's pretty and has the perfect body. I stand there pathetically, drinking in the scene as a prickle of jealousy dances over my skin. Well I was worried for nothing...

This realization brings me back to my senses and I remove myself from the area, I keep walking, looking for a way out of this place. I was angry….not at Zoro but at myself for getting angry at Zoro.

Zoro has every right to kiss whoever he pleases and I shouldn't care who he kisses. Once I stop internally freaking out I find myself on the roof. Well this is convenient. I like rooftops. I take a deep breath...I'm not stupid...I was jealous. Completely jealous of the girl sitting in Zoro's lap, caressing his skin, running her fingers through his hair….

"Shit!" I angrily get out a cigarette, scorching the end cherry red and take a deep drag on it, looking up at the sky. The nicotine spreads through my body, warming all my nerves.

"It's all messed up" But no one but the stars hear me.

* * *

**Her heart beat was fast...way too fast. Why? **

**"Hey...wanna come back to mine?" Zoro was torn from his thoughts, and looked up at the purple eyes that were for some reason blinking rapidly at him. Right...flirting. How did this happen? Zoro wondered. Oh yeah, Ace brought him drinks and introduced him to this girl with long pink hair...but Zoro couldn't remember her name. Ace told him to just go and have a one night stand but he wasn't one for causal sex not to say he was innocent. He's slept with his fair share of girls who he never saw again the next day...he enjoyed the sex but once his body was satisfied that was it. The girls were always annoying and whiny and he couldn't wait till they left his house. **

**"Maybe if your eyes were green" ****He froze at his own words, he did not mean to say that. The girl with the green hat stopped her ministrations on his body and glared at him, he had angered the wrath of a woman. **

**"Sorry..." Zoro pushed the girl off his lap, ignoring her shrill cries. Why did _her _face enter his mind just right then? He let out a heavy sigh, he needed another drink or...he could do with a proper street fight. Someone who could prove to be a challenge, someone with a sword.  
**

**"Like him" he whispered to himself thinking of the most powerful swordsman that existed in his time. **

* * *

I'm about to light my second cigarette when a vibrant blue flash catches my eyes "Hm?" I turn to look at what that light is and I drop my cigarette and lighter when I see luminous cerulean orbs raining from the sky. I rub my eyes wearily and blink at the surreal orbs that were giving off this unearthly aura but there was no denying they were pretty and graceful. One hovers right before me and looking at it closely I see it's a radiant, blue sphere of flames but it wasn't emitting out warmth. I tentatively reach out to it, the tips of my fingers brushing against the cool flames and I felt a soft, ticklish sensation but even so I quickly snap my hand back in reflex as I expected to feel hot pain.

I probably shouldn't be touching things without knowing what it was but I was spellbound by the mysterious little orb and I don't think I would care if it suddenly turned out to be some vicious alien egg. Aha I joke. I do care but I don't think this was something like that. I breathe in a lungful of air and reach out to the minuscule inferno and now I was positive it was not going to burn me and so I cradle the flames in my hands. I admire the tangled mixture of blue and orange flames flickering in the palm of my hands before tossing it up in the air so it joined it's fellow orbs as they fluttered down, encircling me and I swallow in the magnificent sight as they light up the roof with a tranquil blue glow.

"What the hell are you doing?-yoi" A sharp voice cuts into my little happy moment so my immediately reaction is to attack the person with a severe glare. A figure suddenly erupts out of the darkness, blue flames lapping around his body and I step back, trembling slightly. Who is this manic? The way he was speaking was very familiar….

The flames slowly extinguish and darkness settles, save for the flaming spheres that hung in the air around us. A blond guy with an unbuttoned purple shirt and blue skinny jeans glares at me with small eyes but then his face softens, his mouth curving into a smile. It's him. The Blondie I met the other day in the streets of Water Seven when it was on lock down, the one who gave me his number out of the blue. Damn, I totally forgot about that.

"Huh, wait a minute. Aren't ya pepper spray girl-yoi?" he calls out to me with an amused voice and a mocking smile.

"Pepper spray girl?!" I repeat with indignation, my cheeks puffing out. "The name's Yuki" I tell him sternly, crossing my arms while my face flushes with a mixture of anger and embarrassment, I still can't believe I took out the wrong bottle! What a cringe worthy moment. I stand to attention when he lifts his arms and he shoots me a cheeky grin "Calm down-yoi" and he stretches his arms lazily yet I still watch him with caution.

"What are you doing here?-yoi" he produces a small ball of blue fire in his right hand and begins tossing it causally in the air. His flames are so much prettier than Ace's, I look at the orbs dreamily before snapping back to reality and I reply to his question.

"Could ask you the same thing" I look back at the door and my heart falls when I see it's really far away. Aw. I look back at Marco who was juggling with the orbs of fire. He gives me a side look ""I asked first-yoi"

I consider him for a moment, there's no hostility and I don't think he's my enemy but I answer, trying to maintain civility between us "My contractor earns money here so I'm on standby in case he gets his stupid head sliced open!" Thinking about Zoro places more bite in those words than necessary.

"You're a supplier-yoi! I see! I was thinking rich kids like you shouldn't be in a place like this unless...you're desperate for money-yoi" Why do people come to that conclusion? Ace pretty much said the same thing when he first saw me in Upper Yard, was that a common occurrence or something?

"So why are you here then?" I ask him formally.

The flames he was playing with disappear at his will and he turns to face me properly "This is home for me" swinging his arm back, indicating to the skyline of Upper Yard and he pats on his stomach "And I'm here to do something for the old man" Oh yes. How could I forget? He's a member of Whitebeard….what was his name again? It began with an M? Mike? Mark? No…..Marco.

"You afraid of me?-yoi" I must have zoned out in my own world and he read my silence as fear but I think carefully about my answer.

"Weirdly…no. Not that I trust you of course" arching one eyebrow to give him a doubtful look "But….if you wanted to hurt me you would have done it already" I say matter-of-factly and I pray I'm not wrong.

He chuckles "I would never kill someone….especially a child like you-yoi" I growl under my breath. I was no child. And I'm about to retort back when I realise my cigarette and lighter is on the floor and right now I was craving nicotine. Better not let it go to waste. I bend down and pick up the items I dropped, and proceed to torch the end of the white stick.

"You look stressed kid-yoi" he hums.

"No shit Sherlock!" chewing gently on my cigarette, smoke escaping from my mouth with each exhale I take. I sigh.

"Sorry…it's just I entered a contract recently and it's been nothing but stress and mayhem" I tell him softly. He says silent, his eyes telling me to continue. I guess it might be nice talking to someone about my little problem. It might make me feel better and so I continue speaking to fill the air, telling him everything while not revealing names. He listens without interrupting for which I'm grateful and speaking about my chaotic thoughts actually lightens my mind and I feel extremely less shitty than I did before. Why I was telling this stranger I don't know but….he doesn't seem to mind and I highly doubt I'll see him again.

* * *

Things are heating up! Yay! Next chappie should be action-packed!


	14. Chapter 13

**Sorry guys. Back in uni again so been busy being hungover and going out over and over during freshers but since I have now started lectures, updates will be slow. But hopefully you'll stick by me :)  
**

**Enjoy!**

**It wasn't as action-packed as I would have liked. This chapter was a difficult one**

* * *

"Sounds like you're in love with your contractor? Isn't that cute-yoi" Marco gives me a pleased grin and I give him a long deadpan stare "Seriously?" I hope he's joking. I told him pretty much everything, even about what happens when Zoro drinks my blood. Yeah that was awkward but he listened intently without a smirk well...a small smirk. And somehow. Not too sure how, we both ended up sitting side by side against the metal chain fence that bordered the roof. It's unexpectedly easy speaking with Marco, though I'm not gonna lie, he will make a witty joke here and there and that annoys me but there's no spite in his words.

"Where the hell did you get 'love' from"?" I rudely air quote his words "I've been telling you he's unbelievably irritating, rude and abrasive, the fucker just looks down at me like he's better than me or something! His friends are even more frustrating and I have no desire to interact with the lot of them anymore" I make a tired shooing motion in the air to emphasize my point with a frown.

Marco rests his head against the chain link and looks up at the black sky "I don't know kid…..have you actually spoken to him-yoi?" he trembles from the icy wind that wafts through him while I look to the ground and silently mull over his words. I suppose Zoro and I haven't had what people would consider a civil conversation "You'll probably get along better if you tried talking to him about other things-yoi"

"So…you're saying if I get to know him….I'll see him differently" He gives me a slight nod and I click my tongue and scratch my head. I don't know. At this point it seems like it's just me putting the entire effort in establishing a civil relationship with Zoro and his friends…

It's probably best if I just concentrate on getting along with Zoro, his friends seem like they're going to hate me forever. Marco sneezes, "Bless you" I tell him out of habit and then I grin "you should button up your shirt" I tell him but he gives me a sly, sexy smirk "I wouldn't be shivering if you weren't stealing all my body heat" blood immediately rushes to my cheeks, I admit I was inching closer to him but it's freezing here….might be a good idea to head inside soon. I'm about to move but I halt when Marco slings an arm around my shoulder, bringing me closer to his side "You are really warm kid-yoi" he simply tells me and I unthinkably snuggle up closer, what the hell is with this situation? Nonetheless I curl up in order to conserve heat and look up at the blue, fiery globes that were still suspended above us "So…what's your supplier like?" I've been doing all the talking so I should ask Marco about himself. Marco doesn't answer immediately, so I lean over and that's when I hear him mumble "I don't have one…"

"Ah I see…I'm jealous, I could do without-" the meaning of what he said sinks in and I stop speaking before exclaiming, "What! What do you mean you don't have one!?" I crawl around, kneeling before him. There's an sorrowful look on his face.

"A-aren't you going to die?" and I take his hand while he looks at me with a sad smile "I don't need a contractor-yoi" he clicks his fingers and a single blue flame erupts from his thumb.

"See this? They hold their own regenerative powers….just like a phoenix. Born alone, die alone and reborn from the ashes alone" His grip tightens slightly on my hand while his other hand cups my face and I shudder from how cold it is but I don't move when he leans closer, hot air caressing my numb face. His mouth was slightly ajar and I lick my incredibly dry lips, my heart slamming against my rib cage.

I blink. Blue flames...Phoenix...Marco...and he's a member of Whitebeard...

Hold on...

I yank my arm back and scamper away from him and his narrow eyes watch me in enjoyment, almost as if he knew I figured it out "You mean to say you're…that Marco! As in Marco the Phoenix!" This is insane! Marco the Phoenix is the right hand of Whitebeard, a powerful and influential man amongst Whitebeard's crew. He's in the top five of the most wanted criminals in all of East Blue and here I was sitting on the roof with him, talking about my contract problems and he nearly kissed me! Why did he nearly kiss me anyway!?

_Yeah, what the hell are you doing!?_

I can't believe my impulsive side was telling me off for being impulsive, like how does that even work? But, more importantly Marco must be Type Z, you see while I was suspended I was reading up on contractors and I learnt that on top of the usual contractor/supplier powers, us Type Zs can also gain their own unique power. And no, not the devil gene, some contractors are born with a devil's gene power. I don't really get it either, I may have to ask Robin about that one. But, for example with Marco, his devil gene power is his blue flames but his exceptional power is he doesn't need a supplier. So ignore his sad figurative speech. Of course I haven't evolved to that extent but there's a chance that Zoro may have already found his special power, I bet it's the ability to fight three swords.

Marco slowly stands up, towering over me and I flinch when his face takes up a vaguely predatory glance "So, you're afraid of me now?" it was a harsh whisper and his warm eyes had narrowed into icy daggers. I gulp; avoiding his gaze…but I look back at him. Just seconds ago he looked so lonely. I get up calmly, taking my sweet time dusting myself off "I was a bit surprised you know? Not every day one gets to meet a wanted criminal" I state with a coy smile. Marco blinks once before throwing his head back and laughs "I've never met anyone like you Pepper Spray Girl!" I twitch at the stupid nickname and I hear a loud thudding in my brain that informs me that Zoro is getting closer to my position. He must be looking for me.

I smile at him "It's been good talking to you and very helpful" I assure him "But, since it's getting late, I should go back and find my contractor" He reaches out to him, and gently touches my cheek and my heart twists when he gives me a lopsided charming, cool smile "It's been fun-yoi. Call me if you ever run into trouble" he steps back, his outstretched arm morphing into blue flames, while his arm by his side also turns into flames and he flies into the air, leaving me on the roof alone with my cheeks turning red.

"Damn Phoenix" I mutter to the blue speck that flies in the night sky, he seems like a nice guy but I don't get what his deal is. Not to mention he almost kissed me….though that could be my own imagination running wild but I sincerely hope that's not the case right now. Such a weird night, man. I can't wait to go home and get into bed.

The door squeaks open behind me and I turn to see Zoro striding towards me with his clothes on, including the black bandana around his head but I couldn't help but give the swords at his hip a questionable look. Why aren't they in his case? I'm about to ask but my heart stops beating when I look up into his shadowed face, one eye glinting my way from the shadows, making him look like a sexy ninja. Shit….I'm doing that thingy again where I let my thoughts run wild and I realize things I wish I could take back.

"You were up here?" he scans the roof, a hand gripping one of the handles of his swords. Could he have known I wasn't alone? He makes a final scan of the roof before relaxing his stance and looks at me properly.

"Your lips are blue! How long were you here for?" he furrows his eyebrows together and rages over me before he takes off his leather jacket, tossing it to me "Wear this" and I'm draped in pitch black before I could blurt out an explanation. I pull the leather jacket off the top of my head and silently put it on though I am sulking and I smell a strong pine and steel scent and feel warmth seeping into my almost frozen body. Damn, this is creepy. As expected the leather jacket was several sizes big for me but it was able to wrap it around and prevent heat escaping my cocoon of leather.

"What are you doing here?" he asks me and again he glances around. How could he have known there was someone up here?

"Smoking…" I answer, I feel a bit guilty but I don't think it's a good idea to tell him I've been conversing with the right hand man of Whitebeard. Zoro tilts his head, his expression turning suspicious and I mentally curse myself, he knew I was lying. Thankfully, he didn't press and instead, indicated to follow him with a mere nod. An ear-splitting siren explodes from somewhere and I press my hands to my ears, wincing at the sound "What is that?!" I yell to Zoro who looks serious, well more serious than usual.

Zoro growls within his throat "That siren means the police are on their way, someone must have snitched on us" Fuck! This is the worst thing that could happen. Oh? I narrow my eyes when I realise Zoro has arched his eyebrow at me, this fucker better not be insinuating that I'm the snitch. Talk about a lack of trust. I don't react as I hear the chaotic distress below me, people must be darting right and left for the exits. This is completely messed up! I should have never agreed to come here! I'm so stupid! I look around the roof while Zoro looks at his phone, replying to a text. My desire to escape leads me to a brainwave.

"Do you reckon there's an escape ladder on the roof?" I ask Zoro who freezes and looks away from his phone, grinning widely "You're a genius kid" Really, you would think he'll know my name by now?

"Well duh…of course I am" I stand straighter, flipping my hair back.

"Still a brat though" he scoffs, placing a heavy pat on my head while walking past me. I glare at his back and follow after him when I remember something "Will your friends be okay?" Truthfully, I was only concerned for Usopp. Zoro looks over his shoulder, his eyes wide in surprise….why do people think I'm an insensitive bitch? He faces forward "They'll be alright. They're strong" Oh yeah, I know they're strong all right but there's a lot of powerful people on the police force. Zoro finds an escape stairwell that leads down to a dark alley but it's better than a ladder as I don't have to worry about falling to my death. Nothing can possibly go wrong with stairs. So we quickly run down the stairs in silence, save for the sound of our feet drumming against the steel metal. We reach the ground safely but we couldn't relax just yet. Zoro looks down the alley that leads out to a street, the buildings on either side shrouding us in darkness that it takes a while for my eyes to adjust "Okay, the bikes are in that direction"

"Weren't they that way though?" I ask, pointing in the opposite direction but we both hear the sound of distant gun fire. It was hard to pinpoint to where they were coming from.

"You got another idea?" I question him, my heart plummeting inside my chest. Shit's definitely going down. Zoro thinks really hard before breathing out "Alright….we head for the tunnel. You better keep up with me" he orders me with a rude point. Great….exercise.

Zoro is an idiot. Why? He would go the wrong way or in the opposite direction of where we were supposed to go so I was leading the way, weaving around the alleys. It wasn't easy running around especially with the toll of lacking sleep and Zoro drinking from me earlier creeping up on me so I can't run for very long. What was keeping me going was there was no way I was going to get caught by the very people my uncle and aunt work with. I grit my teeth and sprint even harder than before, exhausting my tank of adrenalin.

I see the top of the metal fence and head straight for it, holding Zoro's wrist tightly since the giant child had a tendency to go in the direction I wasn't going in. It was laughable though. Once we near the iron entrance to Upper Yard, I slow to a stop, hunching over with my hands on my thighs, gasping heavily, perspiration sliding down my face as I keep breathing greedily to harbour oxygen. I jump up straight when I hear a loud explosion not too far behind us and I look back in shock awe.

"Shit man….it's really kicking off around here" when Zoro doesn't answer me I look around and find myself alone. Seriously? Don't tell me he got lost from just standing still. I walk forward and around the corner of a tall apartment complex but I halt in step when I see two people standing in front of my way out of Upper Yard. My eyes travel over the young female police officer with chin length black hair, glasses over her eyes. Shit! Why is Tashigi-san alone? I glance around, hoping to see her subordinates but I see none. I hear the sharp sound of sword being unsheathed as Zoro stalks up to the bespectacled police officer with a destructive smirk on his face. Shit! I have to do something.

* * *

**The woman stands her ground "Stand down sir….or I'll be forced to take you into custody"** **Zoro tilts his head, the woman was strong but not anything special "If you don't want to die here than I suggest you surrender" he growls but he smirks when the officer whips her sword out, aiming at Zoro "You leave me no choice but to force you" **

**He licks his lips and steps forward, bringing out another sword, taking up his stance. The woman charges forward and Zoro swiftly catches the first strike and they were locked combat. Zoro loved the thrill of wielding a blade, dancing to the sharp rhythm of their swords as they danced with a deathly grace.**

**Block. Slash. Dodge. Strike. Parry. It was like a routine that constantly changed. He had to hand to the woman, she was no doubt a skilful swordsman, and she was thinking a million things at once, her eyes trailing over him as if calculating his next move but he was the better swordsman. He moved smoothly and with precision, side stepping the opponent's strikes and countering with lighting speed. The woman pushed him back but it wasn't long when they met again in a whirling storm of metal. Zoro was getting bored and decided to end it. He attacked, pushing downward so hard she could barely keep her sword up to block it despite using all her strength to push it away. He was fast and ruthless and placed another quick attack which she barely dodged which was immediately followed by another strike causing the officer to jump backwards. Zoro was tumultuous though and followed after her like a tiger stalking its prey and began to bring his sword down upon her when someone small and incredibly fast steps in between them. **

**"STOP!" **

**He freezes all movement, his blade an inch away from slicing through his supplier's face that had her arms widespread, shielding the officer. He was so stunned and couldn't believe what was happening right now  
**

* * *

I stare at the deadly blade with dark flames with a cross eyed stare. Though you gotta admit, it was pretty heroic. Dumb but heroic. I can sense that both Zoro and Tashigi-san were looking at me with stunned looks on their faces. My heart's pumping so hard it could give itself a heart attack any minute now but I relax a little when Zoro lowers his swords, whipping it away from me and back into its sheathe.

I wave my hand at him and shoo him away "Just go" I whisper. He shakes his head with a heavy chuckle bubbling in his throat and I flinch "How lame, I didn't think the police enlisted citizens so they could hide behind them" He's mocking her! God damn it!

"Just back the fuck up" I scold him but I pale before the anger Zoro was emanating and I wanted to shrink into a ball but instead I glower at him. Flames shooting from my eye sockets, imploring him to get away from here, that I know this cop. A hand lowers on my arm and I turn to see Tashigi-san, my uncle's supplier and a very close family friend.

"I'll be taking you into custody too but this is my fight, and it hasn't been settled yet" she pushes past me, and their steel combat begins again. I bite my lower lip and nervously watch the fight, it was way more intense than the fight Zoro had with Daz. Damn swordsmen and their way of living. But as I watch the sparks fly when their blades connect reflecting their fiery, headstrong resolve in their eyes, I see I couldn't be annoyed at them. It was all about honour and putting your pride on the line and showing your opponent how skilled you are with a sword. I clutch the hem of top when Tashigi-san nearly topples from the pure strength of Zoro. I have a feeling I'll probably interfere again if I have to so I keep an steady eye on their battle.

"Hm?" I frown when I notice the ground before me lighting up steadily, it was as if an orange flare behind me was getting bright and brighter, but it's way too early for the sun to be up. Then I feel a rise in temperature so I spin round "Aw hell no" I watch in dismay as I see a scorching, pulsating ball of orange fire charging straight for me. I literally fling myself to the ground to dodge out of the fireball's path. I roll over the ground, coughing from the terrible heat and the odour of burnt leather before hissing in pain as my left arm was stinging with a sharp and extremely warm pain . I push myself up to standing position; stumbling slightly and look up to see a familiar figure emerge from the darkness with a grin on his face. No fucking way!

"Ace…..what the hell did I do to you this time?" I ask wearily, blowing on my arm to cool down the burn that was excruciating painful. I see Tashigi-san and Zoro were still fighting; they were too caught up in their battle. Great.

"You know what you did" Ace called to me, surrounding himself in a whirling tornado of fire, I take several steps back and take out my pocket knife before me, not that it'll help.

"You called the police, didn't you?" he glares at me with pure venom, oh right….of course. Blame the one person whose not from around here.

"I didn't call the police" I tell him clearly, "otherwise I wouldn't be running away….idiot" I add for my own pleasure, the glare I shoot him is a thousand times deadlier than his.

"Oi!" Ace and I both turn to see Zoro and Tashigi-san facing us, Zoro steps forward "What the hell are you doing?" Zoro asks, he was extremely ticked off.

Ace just gives him a side grin "She's a bad egg Zoro. She's not one of us and besides…..you don't like her. So if she dies, you can always find another supplier easily right?" a dark look dawns on Zoro's face and he grips his sword tightly. What does that mean? Zoro can't make another contract, its one supplier per life.

I actually can't believe this bullshit! Ace really wants me dead. I feel my anger steadily rising as Tashigi-san runs before me, shielding me from Ace "Stay back; she's not a part of this!"

Ace continues speaking to Zoro "You know it's true…you're strong enough to hold out for another supplier" I feel a strange energy mustering inside me but I was too pissed to care at this moment.

Zoro looks at me before shaking his head at Ace "No….she's the right supplier for me" and I feel elated all of a sudden but Ace has a face like thunder and gets into a fighting stance "This is for your own good, Zoro" whatever was bubbling inside reached boiling point and couldn't be contained anymore and like a volcano my rage erupted, it burned through me, fiery and caustic. I felt like something astral left from my body but it all stopped when Tashigi-san faints, falling back into me and we both tumble to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

* * *

**Zoro felt his knees tremble under the immense pressure but he couldn't help but smirk in delight. "She really has it….Conqueror's Haki" He turned to Ace who was on his knees, breathing hard "Just leave it now, Ace. Or I'll become your enemy" Ace looked up at him in panic before looking down "Sorry, I just can't trust her" Zoro sighed. He could understand Ace's problem with Yuki, it stems from the fact Yuki is from Enies Lobby, living the easy life with no care for those at the bottom of the ladder. Zoro's ears perked up when he senses an powerful presence and he crossed over his blades to block the incoming attack, finding himself surrounded by whiteness. **

* * *

My world exploded into white clouds of smoke, I cover my eyes with my arm, coughing through the smoke. The smoke soon clears as remnants of the smoke fuse into the body of my uncle who was glaring murderously at…..no one. Ace and Zoro were nowhere to found, they must have done a runner. Tashigi-san groans in my lap "Are you alright?" I ask. Shiro turns, his blazer fluttering behind me as he looks down at the both of us "Tashigi, get yourself together" his words seem harsh but they were spoken softly.

"Yes-sir" She quickly gets to her feet "Why did you faint?" Tashigi-san fiddles with a glasses "I-I don't know….i didn't see it coming" Shiro looks at me intently. Ah, shit! I'm in big trouble, he's probably wondering why I was here in Upper Yard, especially since I promised him I wouldn't come here again. I'm about to apologize but he quickly speaks up.

"Get her home" is all he says and Shiro forms into a cloud of smoke and plows into the air, probably looking for the damned fire user.


End file.
